BAR

I. ˈbär, ˈbȧ(r noun

( -s )

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English barre, from Old French

1.

a.

(1) : a straight piece of wood or metal that is longer than it is wide, is used to fasten (as a door), and that can be unlatched or unfastened

(2) : a similar piece of wood or metal so fixed or placed as to obstruct passage through any opening or over any way and often forming a part of a continuous barrier (as of a fence or grating)

heavy bars across prison windows

b. : a rodlike piece of iron or steel often pointed at one or both ends or terminating at one end in a cutting edge and used as a digging, breaking, or prying tool

c. : a solid piece or block of some material usually rectangular and considerably longer than it is wide

a bar of gold

d. : a piece (as of wood or metal) longer than it is wide and usually having considerable rigidity that is used as a lever, handle, support, or division maker: as

(1) : a part of a machine usually designed to activate a certain mechanism or to hold replaceable parts (as cutting teeth or needles)

(2) : a handrail along the walls of a dance studio used as an aid to maintain balance during ballet exercises

(3) : a slender strip of wood that divides and supports the glass in a window : sash — called also sash bar

e.

(1) : the part of the wall of a horse's hoof that is bent inward toward the frog at the heel on each side and that extends toward the center of the sole

(2) : the sidepiece joining the pommel and cantle of a saddle

(3) : the mouthpiece of a bridle when solid

2. : barrier , impediment : something that obstructs, hinders, or prevents passage, progress, or action: as

a. : the gate or the gatehouse of a castle or fortified town

the four principal entrances along the main highroads were defended by the four bars — Edwin Benson

b. : the complete and permanent destruction of an action or claim in law

matter in bar

defense in bar

also : a plea or objection that effects such destruction

c.

(1) : any intangible or nonphysical impediment or obstacle

agreed that long sentences are a bar to easy reading — F.L.Mott

one of the biggest bars standing in the way of developing a vaccine — Monsanto Magazine

(2) bars plural : standards of inclusion or admission : restrictions or precautions against inclusion or admission of undesirable or supposedly inferior elements

let down the bars against this microbial enemy — Justina Hill

the club will not let down its bars

d. : a submerged or partly submerged bank of sand, gravel, or other material along a shore or in a river often obstructing navigation especially at the mouth of the river or approaching a harbor — compare bank 1d, barrier 2b(1), hook , reef , spit , tombolo

3.

a.

(1) : the railing in a courtroom that encloses the place about the judge where prisoners are stationed for arraignment, trial, or sentence or where the business of the court is transacted in civil cases

summoned the prisoner to the bar

(2) : court , tribunal

see that justice is done at the bar

(3) : a particular system of courts

the New York bench and bar acquitted themselves wisely … in defense of liberty and law — Telford Taylor

practice at the Massachusetts bar

(4) : any authority or tribunal that renders judgment or makes a final evaluation

he must summon to the bar of a nobler philosophy the current standards of value and conduct — V.L.Parrington

be judged at the bar of public opinion

b.

(1) : the barrier or partition in the English Inns of Court that formerly separated the seats of the benchers or readers from the body of the hall occupied by the students who in time were called to take their place within the barrier to enter into the debates of the house — called also utter bar

(2) : the whole body of barristers or lawyers qualified to practice in any jurisdiction

be admitted to the bar

a bar association

(3) : the profession of barrister or lawyer

heighten respect for members of the bar and judiciary — W.L.Hoyt

c. : a railing in a room, office, or hall of assembly designed to reserve a space for those having special privileges

the bar of the House of Commons

4. : a straight stripe, band, or line much longer than it is wide: as

a. : one of two or more horizontal stripes on a heraldic shield — see fess

b. : a transverse ridge on the roof of a horse's mouth — usually used in plural

c. : the space in front of the molar teeth of a horse in which the bit is placed

d. : a metal or embroidered strip worn on a uniform to indicate rank or service in the armed forces

a second lieutenant's bar

overseas bars

or as an award for merit or achievement

awarded bars to volunteer Red Cross workers

or to signify that the holder of a medal or similar distinction has again merited its award

a Distinguished Flying Cross with bar

e. : ribbon 1c

f. : a mark or stripe crossing at right angles to the length of a feather

g. : the space between the inner and outer table on a backgammon board

h. geology : vein , dike

i. : a mark long in proportion to its width, used in print or writing (as the superscript mark in ā or the subscript mark in th or the mark |)

5.

a. : a counter at which food or especially alcoholic beverages are served

had a cocktail at the bar

snack bar

milk bar

b. : a room or public establishment containing such a counter : barroom

c. : a piece of furniture on wheels to be moved about having a counter on top and storage space for liquor and equipment below

d. : a counter or section of a store where a particular item or items of merchandise are featured

hat bar

gift bar

slipper bar

6.

a. or bar line : a vertical line across the musical staff before the initial measure accent

b. : measure

a passage of eight bars

two bars' rest

c. : bass-bar

d. : a stanzaic song form in medieval music related to the French ballade but without the refrain ; specifically : this form (a a b) as practiced by minnesingers

7.

a. : a lace and embroidery joining for connecting various parts of the pattern that is usually covered with buttonhole stitch for needlepoint lace and cutwork

b. : the strengthening threads covered with buttonhole stitch placed at one or both ends of a buttonhole

8. : banded ferruginous rock — called also jasper bar

9. : a recorded time of performance in horse racing taken on an occasion or at an event not conducted according to the rules of racing that debars a horse from entry in a class of slower record

10. : an area of a crap table in which a bettor may place a bet against the caster, one cast (1-1, 6-6, or 1-2) being barred

11. or bar arm : hammerlock ; especially : one combined with another hold

Synonyms: see obstacle

•

- at bar

- go to the bar

- in bar of

- within the bar

II. transitive verb

( barred ; barred ; barring ; bars )

Etymology: Middle English barren, from Old French barrer, from barre bar

1.

a. : to fasten with a bar

bar the gate

bar a door

b. : to place bars across to prevent ingress or egress

2. : to mark with bars : stripe

a feather barred with brown

3.

a. : to confine or shut in by or as if by bars

bar a prisoner in his cell

b. : not to take into consideration : set aside

the picnic will be on Saturday, barring the possibility of rain

if man does not want to change his culture, then, barring outside compulsions, it will not be changed — W.D.Wallis

c. : to shut or keep out : exclude — often used with from

barred enlisted men from the club

barred aliens from sensitive positions

also archaic : to exclude from

I will bar no honest man my house — Shakespeare

4.

a. : to interpose or serve as a sufficient and permanent legal objection to (as an action) or to the claim of (as a person)

b. : prevent , hinder

nothing barred them from meeting together

c. : forbid , prohibit

a convention barring the use of poison gas in war

d. : to obstruct, block up, or shut off (as an entrance or road) by or as if by a barrier

bar a residential street to heavy traffic

e. : obstruct , prevent

rushed fresh reserves to the front to bar the enemy's advance

5. : to reinforce (as a buttonhole) with a bar

6. : to move or turn (as a flywheel or a locomotive driving wheel) by a bar used as a lever

7. : to divide (a music staff) into measures with bar lines

8. in veterinary practice : to dissect free and ligate (a vein in a horse's leg) above and below the site of a projected operative procedure

Synonyms: see hinder

III. preposition

: except , save , excluding

all was over bar the formal recording of the votes — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin

language can describe anything bar the ineffable — Edna Daitz

IV. noun

( -s )

Etymology: French, from Old French, from Middle Dutch baers; akin to Old English bærs bass — more at bass

: maigre II

V. noun

( -s )

Etymology: Louisiana French boire mosquito net

: mosquito net

see that you drive all the mosquitoes out of their bar — Mark Twain

VI. noun

( -s )

Etymology: Scottish Gaelic bāir game, goal

1. Scotland : practical joke

2. Scotland : an amusing situation

VII. noun

( -s )

Etymology: German, from Greek baros weight — more at grieve

1. : a unit of pressure equal to one million dynes per square centimeter or about 0.98697 standard atmosphere

2. : the absolute cgs unit of pressure equal to one dyne per square centimeter — called also barye

VIII. abbreviation

1. bark; barque

2. barometer; barometric

3. barrel