barrage

[ buh-rahzh; especially British bar-ahzh for 1, 2, 4, 5; bahr-ij for 3 ]
See synonyms for: barragebarragedbarraging on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Military. a heavy barrier of artillery fire to protect one's own advancing or retreating troops or to stop the advance of enemy troops.

  2. an overwhelming quantity or explosion, as of words, blows, or criticisms: a barrage of questions.

  1. Civil Engineering. an artificial obstruction in a watercourse to increase the depth of the water, facilitate irrigation, etc.

  2. Mycology. an aversion response of sexually incompatible fungus cultures that are growing in proximity, revealed by a persistent growth gap between them.

verb (used with object),bar·raged, bar·rag·ing.
  1. to subject to a barrage.

Origin of barrage

1
1855–60; <French: blocking, barring off, barrier, equivalent to barr(er) to bar1 + -age-age; artillery sense by ellipsis from French tir de barrage barrier fire

Other words for barrage

Words Nearby barrage

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use barrage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for barrage

barrage

/ (ˈbærɑːʒ) /


noun
  1. military the firing of artillery to saturate an area, either to protect against an attack or to support an advance

  2. an overwhelming and continuous delivery of something, as words, questions, or punches

  1. a usually gated construction, similar to a low dam, across a watercourse, esp one to increase the depth of water to assist navigation or irrigation

  2. fencing a heat or series of bouts in a competition

verb
  1. (tr) to attack or confront with a barrage: the speaker was barraged with abuse

Origin of barrage

1
C19: from French, from barrer to obstruct; see bar 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012