Related Searches
Nearby Words
Synonyms
Synonym Game
handicap
limit
stop
PLAY

barrier

 [bar-ee-er]   Example Sentences Origin

bar·ri·er

   [bar-ee-er]
noun
1.
anything built or serving to bar passage, as a railing, fence, or the like: People may pass through the barrier only when their train is announced.
2.
any natural bar or obstacle: a mountain barrier.
3.
anything that restrains or obstructs progress, access, etc.: a trade barrier.
4.
a limit or boundary of any kind: the barriers of caste.
5.
Physical Geography. an antarctic ice shelf or ice front.
EXPAND
6.
barrier beach.
7.
barriers, History/Historical. the palisade or railing surrounding the ground where tourneys and jousts were carried on.
8.
Archaic. a fortress or stockade.
COLLAPSE
Fence www.homedepot.com/Fencing Schedule Free In-Home Consultation! Get it Installed by Trusted Experts
Ad
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English < Middle French barriere (barre bar1 + -iere < Latin -āria -ary); replacing Middle English barrere < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin barrera

Synonyms
1. palisade, wall. 1–3. obstruction, hindrance, impediment. See bar1.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To BARRIER

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Barrier is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
  • The boundary of the sphere, the wall of fire, is not an actual physical barrier.
  • Logically, though, there is another answer to the question of how to jump the species barrier.
  • Magnetic tunnel junctions have two ferromagnetic layers separated by a thin insulating barrier.
EXPAND
Collins
World English Dictionary
barrier (ˈbærɪə)
 
—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
4.  a.  an exposed offshore sand bar separated from the shore by a lagoon
 b.  (as modifier): a barrier beach
5.  (sometimes capital) that part of the Antarctic icecap extending over the sea
 
[C14: from Old French barriere, from barrebar1]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

barrier
early 14c., from O.Fr. barriere "obstacle, gatekeeper," from barre "bar" (see bar (1)). First record of barrier reef is from 1805.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

barrier bar·ri·er (bār'ē-ər)
n.

  1. A structure, such as a fence, built to bar passage.

  2. A boundary or limit.

  3. An obstacle or impediment.

  4. Something that separates or holds apart.

  5. Something immaterial that obstructs or impedes behavior.

  6. A physical or biological factor that limits the migration, interbreeding, or free movement of individuals or populations.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Image for BARRIER
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriThesaurus
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT