Definition of barb - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
communicationhurtful or critical remark
- She couldn't ignore the barb in his comment.
2.
weaponssharp point on an arrow or fishhook
- The barb on the fishhook made it hard to remove.
3.
medicalTECH. side branch of a featherTECH.
- Each barb of the feather was perfectly aligned.
4.
plantTECH. hooked hair on certain fruitsTECH.
- The fruit's barb caught on my sweater.
5.
fishTECH. small freshwater fish with barbelsTECH.
- We caught a colorful barb in the stream.
Verb
1.
criticismmake a cutting remark
- She barbed her response with a hint of sarcasm..
2.
fishingRare attach a small backward point to a hookRare
- Fishermen barb their hooks to catch fish more effectively..
Images of barb

sharp point on an arrow or fishhook 
hooked hair on certain fruits 
small freshwater fish with barbels
Expressions with barb
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
sharp point used for cutting or decoration
The ant. & barb. on the arrow made it deadly..
small red freshwater fish popular in aquariums
I added a cherry barb to my aquarium.
Origin of barb
Latin, barba (beard)
Terms with barb included in their meaning
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weaponry
barb on a harpoon or arrow
fishing
spear with a barb for catching fish
fishing
harpoon with a pivoting barb for whaling
abr: barb
sharp point used for cutting or decoration
ornithology
tiny filament branching from the barb of a feather
plant
small barb or beard on plants
Examples of barb in a sentence
The debate was filled with barbs from both sides. The arrow's barb was sharp and dangerous. A barb on the hook caught the fish securely. The barb of the feather caught on the fabric. Scientists studied the barb structure under a microscope. The barb of the seed stuck to my sock.
Gardeners often struggle with the barb of these plants. The aquarium has a rare species of barb. She studied the barb's behavior for her research. He barbed his comment with a sneer. The critic barbed her review with harsh words. They barb the arrows for hunting. You should barb the wire to prevent climbing.
View all translations of barb
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:pique, piquer, ...
- German:Spitze, eine spitze Bemerkung machen, ...
- Italian:frecciata, fare un commento pungente, ...
- Spanish:pulla, soltar un comentario mordaz, ...
- Portuguese:farpa, alfinetar, ...
- Chinese:尖刻话, 挖苦, ...
- Japanese:皮肉, 辛辣な言葉を言う, ...
- Arabic:تَعليق لاذِع, لَسَعَ, ...
- Hebrew:עֲקִיצָה, לַעֲקוֹץ, ...
- Russian:колкость, язвить, ...
- Ukrainian:колючість, колоти, ...
- Hindi:कटाक्ष, चुभती बात कहना, ...
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