Webster's English Dictionary

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bar

1. bar \'ba:r\ n [ME barre, fr. OF] often attrib  1a: a straight piece (as 
   of wood or metal) that is longer than it is wide a nd has any of various 
   uses (as for a lever, support, barrier, or fastening) 1b: a solid piece or 
   block of material usu. rectangular and considerably lo nger than it is wide 
   2: something that obstructs or prevents passage, progress, or action : 
   MIMPEDIMENT : as 2a: the complete and permanent destruction of an action or 
   claim in law; Xalso : a plea or objection that effects such destruction 2b: 
   any intangible or nonphysical impediment  2c: a submerged or partly 
   submerged bank (as of sand) along a shore or in a  river often obstructing 
   navigation 3a1: the railing in a courtroom that encloses the place about 
   the judge whe re prisoners are stationed or where the business of the court 
   is transacted in civil cases 3a2: COURT, TRIBUNAL  3a3: a particular system 
   of courts  3a4: any authority or tribunal that renders judgment  3b1: the 
   barrier in the English Inns of Court that formerly separated the s eats of 
   the benchers or readers from the body of the hall occupied by the students 
   3b2: the whole body of barristers or lawyers qualified to practice in any j 
   urisdiction 3b3: the profession of barrister or lawyer  4: a straight 
   stripe, band, or line much longer than it is wide : as  4a: one of two or 
   more horizontal stripes on a heraldic shield  4b: a metal or embroidered 
   strip worn on a military uniform esp. to indicat e rank or service 5a: a 
   counter at which food or esp. alcoholic beverages are served  5b: BARROOM  
   6a: a vertical line across the musical staff before the initial measure acc 
   ent 6b: MEASURE  7: a lace and embroidery joining covered with buttonhole 
   stitch for connect ing various parts of the pattern in needlepoint lace and 
   cutwork
2. bar vt or barred;  or bar.ring 1a: to fasten with a bar  1b: to place 
   bars across to prevent ingress or egress  2: to mark with bars : STRIPE  
   3a: to confine or shut in by or as if by bars  3b: to set aside : rule out  
   3c: to keep out : EXCLUDE  4a: to interpose legal objection to or to the 
   claim of  4b: PREVENT, FORBID 
3. bar pp : EXCEPT 
4. bar n [G, fr. Gk baros] 1: a unit of pressure equal to one million dynes 
   per square centimeter  2: the absolute cgs unit of pressure equal to one 
   dyne per square centimete r