bar
bar Lexical Profile
bar Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A commercial establishment or counter where alcoholic drinks and refreshments are served to customers.
"They met at a local neighborhood bar after work to celebrate the completion of the project."
A long, rigid piece of wood, metal, or similar solid material, typically used as an obstruction, fastening, or mechanical lever, or a solid rectangular block of a substance such as soap, chocolate, or gold.
"The ground-floor windows were fitted with heavy iron bars for added security."
The legal profession as an institution, or the qualifying authority and examination that licenses lawyers to practice law before a court.
"After graduating from law school, she spent the entire summer studying to pass the state bar."
A standard of quality, achievement, or expectation, or an obstacle or condition that prevents something from happening.
"Her groundbreaking research set a high bar for future studies in molecular biology."
A regular metrical subdivision of a musical composition containing a fixed number of beats, bounded on the staff by vertical lines.
"The conductor asked the orchestra to repeat the opening four bars of the symphony."
• verb
To prohibit, forbid, or prevent someone from doing something or from entering a place.
"The athletic commission voted to bar the player from competing for the remainder of the season."
To fasten, secure, or obstruct a door, window, or passage with a rigid rod or physical barrier.
"The shopkeeper made sure to lock the shutters and bar the heavy oak door before leaving for the night."
• preposition
Except for; apart from.
"Every student in the seminar bar one submitted the research paper before the deadline."
• Rhymes for bar
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Middle English barre, borrowed from Old French barre, from Vulgar Latin barra ('barrier, rod'), of uncertain ultimate origin. The sense of a legal profession or court derives from the physical wooden railing that separated the judge and lawyers from spectators and defendants in medieval courtrooms.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.