barb

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

barb, n. [F. barbe, fr. L. barba beard. See Beard, n.].

•  Beard, or that which resembles it, or grows in the place of it.  [1913 Webster]

  "The barbel, so called by reason of his barbs, or wattles in his mouth."  [1913 Webster]
•  A muffler, worn by nuns and mourners.  [1913 Webster]
•  Paps, or little projections, of the mucous membrane, which mark the opening of the submaxillary glands under the tongue in horses and cattle. The name is mostly applied when the barbs are inflamed and swollen.  [1913 Webster]
•  The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else.  Ascham.  [1913 Webster]
•  A bit for a horse.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]
•  One of the side branches of a feather, which collectively constitute the vane. See Feather.  [1913 Webster]
•  A southern name for the kingfishes of the eastern and southeastern coasts of the United States; -- also improperly called whiting.  [1913 Webster]
•  A hair or bristle ending in a double hook.  [1913 Webster]

barb, v. t. 

•  To shave or dress the beard of.  [1913 Webster]
•  To clip; to mow.  Marston.  [1913 Webster]
•  To furnish with barbs, or with that which will hold or hurt like barbs, as an arrow, fishhook, spear, etc.  [1913 Webster]

  "But rattling storm of arrows barbed with fire."  [1913 Webster]

barb, n. [F. barbe, fr. Barbarie.].

•  The Barbary horse, a superior breed introduced from Barbary into Spain by the Moors.  [1913 Webster]
•  A blackish or dun variety of the pigeon, originally brought from Barbary.  [1913 Webster]

barb, n. [Corrupted fr. bard.].

 Armor for a horse. Same as 2d Bard, n., 1.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

barb, 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.

Idiom

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

THESAURUS

barb

Amytal, Amytal pill, Demerol, Dolophine, H, Luminal, Luminal pill, M, Mickey Finn, Nembutal, Nembutal pill, Seconal, Seconal pill, Tuinal, Tuinal pill, alcohol, amobarbital sodium, analgesic, anodyne, antenna, arrow, arrowhead, barbel, barbiturate, barbiturate pill, barbule, barrel, black stuff, blue, blue angel, blue devil, blue heaven, blue velvet, bobtailed arrow, bolt, bristle, calmative, cat whisker, chested arrow, chloral hydrate, cilium, cloth yard shaft, codeine, codeine cough syrup, dart, depressant, depressor, dolly, downer, feeler, filament, filamentule, flight, goofball, hard stuff, heroin, hop, horse, hypnotic, junk, knockout drops, laudanum, liquor, lotus, meperidine, methadone, morphia, morphine, narcotic, opiate, opium, pacifier, pain killer, paregoric, pen yan, phenobarbital, phenobarbital sodium, purple heart, quarrel, quietener, quill, rainbow, red, reed, scag, secobarbital sodium, sedative, setula, setule, shaft, shit, sleep-inducer, sleeper, sleeping draught, sleeping pill, smack, sodium thiopental, somnifacient, soother, soothing syrup, soporific, striga, stubble, tactile hair, tactile process, tar, tranquilizer, turps, vibrissa, volley, white stuff, yellow, yellow jacket

ROGET THESAURUS

barb

Sharpness

N sharpness, acuity, acumination, spinosity, point, spike, spine, spicule, spiculum, needle, hypodermic needle, tack, nail, pin, prick, prickle, spur, rowel, barb, spit, cusp, horn, antler, snag, tag thorn, bristle, Adam's needle, bear grass, tine, yucca, nib, tooth, tusk, spoke, cog, ratchet, crag, crest, arete, cone peak, sugar loaf, pike, aiguille, spire, pyramid, steeple, beard, chevaux de frise, porcupine, hedgehog, brier, bramble, thistle, comb, awn, beggar's lice, bur, burr, catchweed, cleavers, clivers, goose, grass, hairif, hariff, flax comb, hackle, hatchel, heckle, wedge, knife edge, cutting edge, blade, edge tool, cutlery, knife, penknife, whittle, razor, razor blade, safety razor, straight razor, electric razor, scalpel, bistoury, lancet, plowshare, coulter, colter, hatchet, ax, pickax, mattock, pick, adze, gill, billhook, cleaver, cutter, scythe, sickle, scissors, shears, pruning shears, cutters, wire cutters, nail clipper, paper cutter, sword, bodkin, belduque, bowie knife, paring knife, bushwhacker, drawing knife, drawing shave, microtome, chisel, screwdriver blade, flint blade, guillotine, sharpener, hone, strop, grindstone, whetstone, novaculite, steel, emery, sharp, keen, acute, acicular, aciform, aculeated, acuminated, pointed, tapering, conical, pyramidal, mucronate, mucronated, spindle shaped, needle shaped, spiked, spiky, ensiform, peaked, salient, cusped, cuspidate, cuspidated, cornute, cornuted, cornicultate, prickly, spiny, spinous, spicular, thorny, bristling, muricated, pectinated, studded, thistly, briary, craggy, snaggy, digitated, two-edged, fusiform, dentiform, denticulated, toothed, odontoid, starlike, stellated, stelliform, sagittate, sagittiform, arrowheaded, arrowy, barbed, spurred, acinaciform, apiculate, apiculated, aristate, awned, awny, bearded, calamiform, cone-shaped, coniform, crestate, echinate, gladiate, lanceolate, lanciform, awl, awl-shaped, lance-shaped, awl- shaped, scimitar-shaped, sword-shaped, setarious, spinuliferous, subulate, tetrahedral, xiphoid, cutting, sharp edged, knife edged, sharp as a razor, keen as a razor, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, sharpened, set.

VB be sharp, taper to a point, bristle with, render sharp, sharpen, point, aculeate, whet, barb, spiculate, set, strop, grind, chip (flint), cut.

Carrier

N carrier, porter, bearer, tranter, conveyer, cargador, express, expressman, stevedore, coolie, conductor, locomotive, motor, beast, beast of burden, cattle, horse, nag, palfrey, Arab, blood horse, thoroughbred, galloway, charger, courser, racer, hunter, jument, pony, filly, colt, foal, barb, roan, jade, hack, bidet, pad, cob, tit, punch, roadster, goer, racehorse, pack horse, draft horse, cart horse, dray horse, post horse, ketch, Shetland pony, shelty, sheltie, garran, garron, jennet, genet, bayard, mare, stallion, gelding, bronco, broncho, cayuse, creature, critter, cow pony, mustang, Narraganset, waler, stud, Pegasus, Bucephalus, Rocinante, ass, donkey, jackass, mule, hinny, sumpter horse, sumpter mule, burro, cuddy, ladino, reindeer, camel, dromedary, llama, elephant, carrier pigeon, pallet, brace, cart, dolley, support, fork lift, carriage, ship, equine, asinine.