Hypertext Webster Gateway: "barb"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Kingfish \King"fish`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) An American marine food fish of the genus {Menticirrus},
especially {M. saxatilis}, or {M. nebulosos}, of the
Atlantic coast; -- called also {whiting}, {surf whiting},
and {barb}.
(b) The opah.
(c) The common cero; also, the spotted cero. See {Cero}.
(d) The queenfish.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Barb \Barb\, n. [F. barbe, fr. L. barba beard. See {Beard}, n.]
1. Beard, or that which resembles it, or grows in the place
of it.
The barbel, so called by reason of his barbs, or
wattles in his mouth. --Walton.
2. A muffler, worn by nuns and mourners. [Obs.]
3. pl. Paps, or little projections, of the mucous membrane,
which mark the opening of the submaxillary glands under
the tongue in horses and cattle. The name is mostly
applied when the barbs are inflamed and swollen. [Written
also {barbel} and {barble}.]
4. The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook,
etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence:
Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or
crosswise to something else. ``Having two barbs or
points.'' --Ascham.
5. A bit for a horse. [Obs.] --Spenser.
6. (Zo["o]l.) One of the side branches of a feather, which
collectively constitute the vane. See {Feather}.
7. (Zo["o]l.) A southern name for the kingfishes of the
eastern and southeastern coasts of the United States; --
also improperly called {whiting}.
8. (Bot.) A hair or bristle ending in a double hook.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Barb \Barb\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Barbed} (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
{Barbing}.]
1. To shave or dress the beard of. [Obs.]
2. To clip; to mow. [Obs.] --Marston.
3. To furnish with barbs, or with that which will hold or
hurt like barbs, as an arrow, fishhook, spear, etc.
But rattling storm of arrows barbed with fire.
--Milton.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Barb \Barb\, n. [F. barbe, fr. Barbarie.]
1. The Barbary horse, a superior breed introduced from
Barbary into Spain by the Moors.
2. (Zo["o]l.) A blackish or dun variety of the pigeon,
originally brought from Barbary.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Barb \Barb\, n. [Corrupted fr. bard.]
Armor for a horse. Same as 2d {Bard}, n., 1.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
barb
n 1: an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and
intended to have a telling effect; "his parting shot was
`drop dead'"; "she threw shafts of sarcasm"; "she takes
a dig at me every chance she gets" [syn: {shot}, {shaft},
{slam}, {dig}, {jibe}, {gibe}]
2: the pointed part of barbed wire
3: a subsidiary point facing opposite from the main point that
makes an arrowhead or spear hard to remove
4: one of the parallel filaments projecting from the main shaft
of a feather
v 1: provide with barbs; "barbed wire"
2: provide with barbs, as of fences, for example; "barbed wire"
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