What does barb mean?
Barb means 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..
Barb
/bɑː(ɹ)b/ · noun
Meaning
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..
Definitions by Sense
- 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.
- (figuratively) A hurtful or disparaging remark.
- A beard, or that which resembles it, or grows in the place of it.
- (ornithology) One of the many side branches of a feather, which collectively constitute the vane.
- (ichthyology) Any of various species of freshwater carp-like fish that have barbels and belong to the cyprinid family.
- (US) The sciaenid fish Menticirrhus americanus, found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States.
- (botany) A hair or bristle ending in a double hook.
- (obsolete) A muffler, worn by nuns and mourners.
Example Sentences
Having two barbs or points.
to trade barbs
And she was the only girl in class who did not, sometime through the lesson, get a barb of sarcasm from Miss Brownell, though she made as many mistakes as the rest of them.
“Maybe I just wanted to come and see for myself if you were real. Or if you were a figment of my imagination.” The barb hurt, but she didn't blame him.
His barbs about fake accounts have weakened trust in Twitter, just as the company prepares to moderate heated political discussions about an upcoming election in Brazil and the midterm elections this fall in the United States, misinformation experts said.
His loftie steed with golden sell And goodly gorgeous barbes.
[…] for this day will pour down, / If I conjecture aught, no drizzling shower, / But rattling storm of arrows barbed with fire.
Undoubtedly—when Ingratitude barbs the Dart of Injury—the wound has double danger in it—
Synonyms for barb
Antonyms for barb
Related Words
Word Forms
- barbs
- barbing
- barbed
Usage Notes
Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.
Practice and Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a synonym for barb?
Common synonyms include barbel, Carolina whiting, king whiting, southern kingcroaker.
What is the opposite of barb?
Possible antonyms include unsusceptible, insusceptible.
How do you use barb in a sentence?
Having two barbs or points.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.