bard
bard Lexical Profile
bard Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A poet, traditionally one who composes and recites epic or heroic verses while playing a harp or lyre, especially in ancient Celtic cultures.
"The traveling bard entertained the royal court with ancient ballads of heroism and romance."
A piece of defensive or ornamental armor designed to protect a warhorse's chest, flanks, or head.
"The museum displayed a fifteenth-century steel bard once worn by a knight's destrier in battle."
A thin slice of fat bacon or pork placed over lean meat or poultry before roasting to keep it moist.
"Securing a bard of cured pork fat over the pheasant breast prevented it from drying out in the oven."
• verb
To wrap or cover lean meat, game, or poultry with thin slices of bacon or fat before roasting to preserve moisture.
"The chef decided to bard the venison loin with smoked bacon before placing it in the hot oven."
To equip or outfit a horse with defensive armor or ornamental trappings.
"The squires worked quickly to bard the warhorses ahead of the royal tournament."
• Rhymes for bard
Word Origin & Etymology
The literary sense entered Middle English from Scottish Gaelic and Irish 'bard', tracing back to Proto-Celtic '*bardos' (poet-singer). The defensive armor and culinary senses derive separately from Middle French 'barde', Meaning horse armor, which was later figuratively applied to strips of bacon.