Home › Glossary › Letter B

barb

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The sharp, backward-pointing projection on an arrow, fishhook, or weapon designed to prevent withdrawal; also means to trim a horse's mane short.

Detailed Definition
As a noun, “barb” denotes the backward-facing point on an arrowhead that ensures deep wounding—metaphorically, a sharp insult or pain. In poetry, it symbolizes inescapable suffering or piercing truth. As a verb, it describes grooming warhorses, linking to chivalric imagery. Both uses appear in epic and lyric verse to convey precision, cruelty, or martial elegance, enriching descriptions of conflict or emotional injury.
Example
Example in poetry:
"His words had a barb that pierced deeper than steel," a metaphor in courtly satire; In Shakespeare’s sonnets, "barbed" darts of love wound the heart; "The arrow’s barb was dipped in venom," in an epic of revenge; Milton compares slander to a "barbed tongue"; "Her smile hid a barb of mockery," observes the disillusioned lover; The critic’s pen left barbs in every line.
Additional Notes
“Barb” as a noun refers to the backward-facing point on an arrowhead that ensures deep wounding; metaphorically, it denotes a sharp, wounding remark; poets use it to link physical and verbal violence, especially in sonnets about betrayal or satire.
Also Known As
barbed arrow barbwire (rare) thorn Burr
Skip to main content