n.
Pronunciation: ' bärb
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English barbe barb, beard, from Anglo-French, from Latin barba ― more at BEARD
Date: 14th century
1 : a medieval cloth headdress passing over or under the chin and covering the neck
2 a : a sharp projection extending backward (as from the point of an arrow or fishhook) and preventing easy extraction also : a sharp projection with its point similarly oblique to something else b : a biting or pointedly critical remark or comment
3 : 2 BARBEL
4 : any of the side branches of the shaft of a feather ― see FEATHER illustration
5 : a plant hair or bristle ending in a hook
– barb · less \ -l ə s \ adjective