barbel
barbel Lexical Profile
barbel Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A slender, whisker-like sensory organ located near the mouth of certain fish, such as catfish or carp, used to locate food in turbid waters.
"The catfish uses its highly sensitive barbels to detect the movement of prey hidden in the muddy riverbed."
A large, bottom-dwelling freshwater fish native to European rivers, belonging to the carp family and characterized by the distinctive whisker-like organs around its mouth.
"The angler cast his line into the fast-flowing stretch of the river in hopes of catching a specimen barbel."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'barbel', a fish or its sensory organ, with the homophone 'barbell', which is a piece of weightlifting equipment.
• Rhymes for barbel
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'barbel', via Old French from Late Latin 'barbellus', a diminutive of Latin 'barba' meaning 'beard'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.