barbershop
barbershop Lexical Profile
barbershop Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A commercial establishment where a barber cuts, styles, and grooms hair and beards, primarily for men and boys.
"He stopped by the local barbershop on Saturday morning for a quick trim and a shave."
A genre of unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture.
"He has been singing barbershop with the same quartet for over twenty years."
• adjective
Relating to or denoting a traditional style of close, four-part a cappella vocal harmony, typically performed by a quartet.
"The festival featured several barbershop choruses competing on the main stage."
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound formed from 'barber' (from Old French 'barbier', ultimately from Latin 'barba' meaning 'beard') and 'shop' (from Old English 'sceoppa' meaning 'booth or shed'). The musical sense emerged in late 19th-century America from the tradition of patrons gathering in barbershops to sing impromptu four-part harmonies.