bar

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A place where you can buy and drink alcoholic drinks.

   We met some friends at the bar after work.

2. 2
   noun

   A block of a solid substance, such as chocolate or soap.

   He ate a whole bar of chocolate by himself.

3. 3
   verb

   To stop someone from entering a place or doing something.

   The guard barred us from entering the building.

4. 4
   noun

   A long, narrow piece of metal or wood.

   There were iron bars across the prison window.

5. 5
   noun

   The profession of lawyers, or all the lawyers allowed to work in a region.

   She passed her exams and was admitted to the bar last year.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Bar entered English from French in the early Middle Ages, though its earlier history is unknown. It first denoted a fastening for a gate or door, then various physical barriers, including courtroom and tavern barriers or counters. From the idea of blocking something came the 16th-century verb meaning “prohibit,” while legal uses produced expressions such as “called to the bar” and the collective name the Bar for barristers.

From Middle English barren, from Old French barrer, from Medieval Latin barrare (“to bar”), from the noun. Cognate to Occitan barrar, Spanish barrar, Portuguese barrar. Preposition properly imperative of the verb. Compare barring.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary