BARB


Meaning of BARB in English

n. & v.

--n.

1. a secondary backward-facing projection from an arrow, fish-hook, etc., angled to make extraction difficult.

2 a deliberately hurtful remark.

3 a beardlike filament at the mouth of some fish, e.g. barbel and catfish.

4 any one of the fine hairlike filaments growing from the shaft of a feather, forming the vane.

--v.tr.

1. provide (an arrow, a fish-hook, etc.) with a barb or barbs.

2 (as barbed adj.) (of a remark etc.) deliberately hurtful.

Phrases and idioms:

barbed wire wire bearing sharp pointed spikes close together and used in fencing, or in warfare as an obstruction.

Etymology: ME f. OF barbe f. L barba beard

Oxford English vocab.      Оксфордский английский словарь.