barrier
n
1 anything serving to obstruct passage or to maintain separation, such as a fence or gate
2 anything that prevents or obstructs passage, access, or progress
a barrier of distrust
3 anything that separates or hinders union
a language barrier
a an exposed offshore sand bar separated from the shore by a lagoon
b (as modifier)
a barrier beach
5 sometimes cap that part of the Antarctic icecap extending over the sea (C14: from Old French barriere, from barre bar1)
barrier cream
n a cream used to protect the skin, esp. the hands, from dirt and from the action of oils or solvents
barrier-nurse
vb tr to tend (infectious patients) in isolation, to prevent the spread of infection
♦
barrier nursing n
barrier of ideas
n (Philosophy) the representations of objects which certain accounts of perception interpose between the objects themselves and our awareness of them, so that, as critics argue, we can never know whether there is in reality anything which resembles our perceptions
See →
representationalism →
1
barrier reef
n a long narrow coral reef near and lying parallel to the shore, separated from it by deep water
See →
Great Barrier Reef
crash barrier
n a barrier erected along the centre of a motorway, around a racetrack, etc., for safety purposes
crush barrier
n a barrier erected to separate sections of large crowds in order to prevent crushing
Great Barrier Reef
n a coral reef in the Coral Sea, off the NE coast of Australia, extending for about 2000 km (1250 miles) from the Torres Strait along the coast of Queensland; the largest coral reef in the world
heat barrier
n another name for →
thermal barrier
sonic barrier
n another name for →
sound barrier
sound barrier
n not in technical usage a hypothetical barrier to flight at or above the speed of sound, when a sudden large increase in drag occurs, (Also called)
sonic barrier, transonic barrier
thermal barrier
n an obstacle to flight at very high speeds as a result of the heating effect of air friction, (Also called)
heat barrier
transonic barrier
n another name for →
sound barrier