plural bars
1
a
: a straight piece (as of wood or metal) that is longer than it is wide and has any of various uses (as for a lever, support, barrier, or fastening)
windows with bars across them
a door secured by an iron bar
b
: a solid piece or block of material that is longer than it is wide
a bar of gold
a candy bar
c
: a usually rigid piece (as of wood or metal) longer than it is wide that is used as a handle or support
especially
: a handrail used by ballet dancers to maintain balance while exercising
2
: something that obstructs or prevents passage, progress, or action: such as
a
law
: the destruction of an action (see action sense 5) or claim
a statute of limitations bar to the present action
also
: a plea or objection that effects such destruction
b
: an intangible or nonphysical impediment
His poor attitude was a bar to his success.
c
: a submerged or partly submerged bank (as of sand) along a shore or in a river often obstructing navigation
3
law
a(1)
: the railing in a courtroom that encloses the place about the judge where prisoners are stationed or where the business of the court is transacted in civil cases
(3)
: a particular system of courts
practices at the New York bar
(4)
: an authority or tribunal that hands down judgment
will be judged at the bar of public opinion
b(1)
: the barrier in the English Inns of Court that formerly separated the seats of the benchers or readers (see reader sense 2) from the body of the hall occupied by the students
(2)
: the whole body of barristers or lawyers qualified to practice in the courts of any jurisdiction
dreams of being admitted to the bar
(3)
: the profession of barrister or lawyer
… heighten respect for members of the bar and judiciary …—
W. L. Hoyt
W. L. Hoyt
(4)
US
: the test that a person must pass in order to become eligible to work as a lawyer
passed the bar and went into private practice
the bar exam/examination
4
: a straight stripe, band, or line much longer than it is wide: such as
a
heraldry
: one of two or more horizontal stripes on a heraldic shield
b
: a metal or embroidered strip worn on a usually military uniform especially to indicate rank (as of a company officer) or service (see service entry 1 sense 6b)
a second lieutenant's bar
c
: any of a series of small rectangular symbols (as on a smartphone or cell phone screen) used as an indication or measurement of signal strength
I never got stellar service, but I used to get two bars, maybe three, on a good day, and I was able to make calls. Then I was down to one bar if I was lucky.—Maria Tuxhorn, quoted in The Durango (Colorado) Herald
Maria Tuxhorn, quoted in The Durango (Colorado) Herald5
a
: a counter at which food or especially alcoholic beverages are served
We sat at the bar while we waited for a table.
b
: a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks and sometimes food are served : barroom
They went to a bar for drinks.
c
: shop sense 2b
a coffee bar
6
music
a
: a vertical line across the musical staff before the initial measure accent (see accent entry 1 sense 5)
b
: measure
Sing the first two bars.
7
textiles
: a lace and embroidery joining covered with buttonhole stitch for connecting various parts of the pattern in needlepoint lace and cutwork
8
: standard
wants to raise the bar for approving new drugs
barred; barring
1
a
: to fasten with a long, narrow piece of wood, metal, or other material : to fasten with a bar (see bar entry 1 sense 1a)
2
: to mark with straight stripes, bands, or lines that are much longer than they are wide : to mark with bars (see bar entry 1 sense 4) : stripe
a feather barred with blue
3
a
: to confine or shut in by or as if by bars (see bar entry 1 sense 1a)
barring prisoners in their cells
b
: to set aside : to not take into consideration : rule out
did not bar the possibility of further measures
c
: to keep out : exclude
—often used with from
Women were barred from joining the club.
: except
the country's most popular actor, bar none
: a unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals
1
barometer; barometric
2
barrel
Baruch
bachelor of architecture
Browning automatic rifle
Examples of bar in a Sentence
Noun (1)
all of the prison's windows are partially covered with steel bars
the cat had a bar of white down her throat
more than one boater has run aground on that treacherous bar of sand in the river
a bar that serves meals as well as drinks
rather than try and convict the alleged murderer in the mass media, let justice be done at the bar
the complication of the molecule is the biggest bar to reproducing it
we need to raise the bar for what is acceptable behavior in this situation
Verb
He barred the door as soon as he got in.
All the windows and doors were barred.
A herd of goats was barring the road.
Nothing barred them from meeting together.
The judge will bar the jurors from talking to reporters.
A federal court has barred the group from using the name.
The decision bars the possibility of additional development in the area.
forms of punishment barred by the Constitution
Preposition
They have lost every match, bar one.
everyone in the company is invited, bar none
Recent Examples on the Web
Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025
Quince Italian Leather Horsebit Loafer The leather loafers come in three neutral colors, including black, tan, and white, and each features the same horsebit double-ring and gold bar on the front that’s so similar to the design of Gucci’s pair.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Most settlements include confidentiality clauses that not only conceal the settlement figure, but also bar anyone involved from publicly discussing it.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bar
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Between the two lies a great outdoor bar, where all are welcome to sit and grab cocktails and snacks.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025
Quince Italian Leather Horsebit Loafer The leather loafers come in three neutral colors, including black, tan, and white, and each features the same horsebit double-ring and gold bar on the front that’s so similar to the design of Gucci’s pair.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Justice Minister Yariv Levin is attempting to bar Baharav-Miara – also a frequent target of the right wing – from probing the leak, suggesting the attorney general’s own involvement in the case should also be examined.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Most settlements include confidentiality clauses that not only conceal the settlement figure, but also bar anyone involved from publicly discussing it.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bar
Cite this Entry
“Bar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bar. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bar
1 of 4 noun1
a
: a straight piece (as of metal or wood) that is longer than it is wide
b
: a usually rectangular piece or block of material
a bar of soap
2
: something that hinders or blocks : obstacle
3
: a bank (as of sand) partly or entirely under water along a shore or in a river
4
a
: the railing in a courtroom around the place where the business of the court is carried on
b
: a court of law
c
: the profession of law
6
a
: a counter on which alcoholic drinks or food is served
b
: barroom
7
a
: a vertical line across the musical staff before the beginning of a measure
8
: standard entry 1 sense 2a
raise the bar for improving new medicines
bar
2 of 4 verb
barred; barring
1
: to fasten with a bar
bar the door
2
: to mark with bars : stripe
gray feathers barred with brown
3
: to block off : close
bar the road with a chain
4
a
: to keep out : exclude
bar reporters from a meeting
b
: prevent sense 1, forbid
the judge barred them from talking to reporters
bar
3 of 4 preposition
: with the exception of
bar none
bar
4 of 4 noun
: a unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals
Etymology
Noun
Middle English barre "bar," from early French barre (same meaning)
Noun
from German Bar "unit of pressure," from Greek baros "weight, pressure"
Medical Definition
bar
1 of 4 nounoften attributive
1
a
: a piece of metal that connects parts of a removable partial denture
b
: the part of the wall of a horse's hoof that is bent inward toward the frog at the heel on each side and that extends toward the center of the sole
2
: a straight stripe, band, or line much longer than it is wide: as
a
: a transverse ridge on the roof of a horse's mouth
—usually used in plural
b
: the space in front of the molar teeth of a horse in which the bit is placed
bar
2 of 4 transitive verb
barred; barring
: to cut free and ligate (a vein in a horse's leg) above and below the site of a projected operative procedure
bar
3 of 4 noun
: a unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals or to one million dynes per square centimeter or to 0.9869 atmosphere
bar
4 of 4 abbreviation
barometer; barometric
Legal Definition
bar
1 of 2 nounoften attributive
1
a
: the railing in a courtroom that encloses the area around the judge where prisoners are stationed in criminal cases or where the business of the court is transacted in civil cases compare bench sense 1, dock, jury box, stand
2
a
: the whole body of lawyers
especially
: those qualified to practice in the courts of a particular jurisdiction
admitted to the Arizona bar
the bankruptcy bar
compare bench sense 3b
b
: the profession or occupation of lawyer
c
: bar examination
passed the bar
3
: something that prevents admission, progress, or action: as
a
: an intangible impediment, obstacle, or barrier
consent of the victim is a bar to conviction
b
: the permanent preclusion of a claim or action especially due to the loss of a previous suit based on the same cause of action and between the same parties
its earlier successful suit against the purchaser for the price was a bar to the present suit—Martino v. McDonald's System, Inc., 598 F.2d 1079 (1979)
compare collateral estoppel at estoppel sense 2a, merger sense 4, res judicata sense 2
Martino v. McDonald's System, Inc., 598 F.2d 1079 (1979)bar
2 of 2 transitive verb
barred; barring
1
: to keep out : exclude
cannot bar the items from sale
2
: to prevent from doing or accomplishing (something)
plaintiff's conduct may bar her recovery
the contract bars his reinstatement
3
: preclude: as
a
: to act as a bar to (as a claim or action)
final judgment barred the subsequent claim
b
: to prevent (a party) from bringing a claim or action
plaintiffs are barred by the judgment…from relitigating their claims—Roach v. Teamsters Local Union No. 688, 595 F.2d 446 (1979)
see also estop compare merge sense 2
Roach v. Teamsters Local Union No. 688, 595 F.2d 446 (1979)
barrable
adjective
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