barb

1 of 4

noun (1)

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
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
barbless adjective

barb

2 of 4

verb

barbed; barbing; barbs

transitive verb

: to furnish with a barb

barb

3 of 4

noun (2)

: any of a northern African breed of horses that are noted for speed and endurance

barb

4 of 4

noun (3)

slang

Examples of barb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Damon and Kimmel have repeatedly traded barbs back and forth in the nearly two decades since that original joke. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Tension between the families has risen, and in January, the two presidents publicly traded barbs, accusing one another of being addicted to drugs. Regine Cabato, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The two have exchanged barbs in mailers, with Holden suggesting that Barger supports Donald Trump, a claim Barger has denied. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 As the politicians traded barbs over who was to blame, migrants were still making the dangerous journey into the U.S. Seung Min Kim, arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2024 But Dunham has won praise and a hefty following, as well as some controversy, for his sharp sense of comedy and pointed barbs on society. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 The video set off a torrid social media response Friday when Loesch and a Santos assistant exchanged sharp barbs on X, formerly Twitter, over photos of a social justice rally on June 6, 2020, in Southlake Town Square. Cheers to Friday! Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2024 Koy’s pop culture barbs during his opening monologue fell flat with viewers on social media and even celebrities at the event. USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024 The world’s two most powerful Argentines had traded barbs throughout the election that Milei won in a landslide last November. Manuela Tobias, Bloomberg.com, 11 Feb. 2024
Verb
Hammel is an appealing screen presence, tossing off inappropriate remarks with blithe abandon and making Karla the sort of friend who’s both endearing and exasperating — her affection often barbed and her opportunism unapologetic. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Eventually two more whole points and fragments of five others turned up, all of them elaborately barbed and polished. James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 Her name is Cleve, and she is played by an exceptional Clare Perkins, whose delivery is barbed and steely. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 That’s okay when a lively minnow is barbed through the lips or nostrils, but when fishing cover, baits often pull off quickly. Bob McNally, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English barbe barb, beard, from Anglo-French, from Latin barba — more at beard

Noun (2)

French barbe, from Italian barbero, from barbero of Barbary, from Barberia Barbary, coastal region in Africa

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1759, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1610, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of barb was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near barb

Cite this Entry

“Barb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barb. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

barb

noun
ˈbärb
1
a
: a sharp point that sticks out and backward (as from the point of an arrow or fishhook)
b
: any of various sharp parts (as the side branch of a feather) that stick out from a plant or animal
2
: an often witty remark intended to hurt a person's feelings
barbless
-ləs
adjective
Etymology

Noun

Middle English barbe "barb, beard," from early French barbe (same meaning), from Latin barba "beard" — related to barber

Medical Definition

barb

noun
slang

More from Merriam-Webster on barb

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