barb
barb Lexical Profile
barb Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sharp projection near the end of an arrow, fishhook, or similar object, angled away from the main point to make extraction difficult.
"The fisherman carefully filed down the barb on the hook to practice safe catch-and-release."
A deliberately hurtful, critical, or cutting remark.
"Despite his polite tone, his speech was full of hidden barbs aimed at his political rivals."
A small, active freshwater fish of the cyprinid family, native to Africa and Asia and widely popular in home aquariums.
"The tiger barb is a brightly colored schooling fish that adds vibrant movement to a community tank."
• verb
To fit or equip an object with a sharp, backward-pointing projection.
"The indigenous hunters would carefully barb their wooden spears with sharpened bone fragments."
• Rhymes for barb
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'barbe', via Old French 'barbe' meaning 'beard or beard-like appendage', ultimately derived from Latin 'barba' (beard).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.