26984 words

bars

30 definitions • 38 examples
1
a place where drinks, especially alcoholic drinks, are sold and drunk, or the area in such a place where the person serving the drinks stands:

Examples:

They noticed him going into the hotel bar.
at the bar There weren't any free tables, so I sat at the bar.
behind the bar Why don't you ask the guy behind the bar (= serving drinks there)?
2
a long, thin, straight piece of metal or wood:

Examples:

The gorilla rattled the bars of its cage.
3
a substance that has been made into a solid rectangular shape:

Examples:

4
The bar of an electric heater is a long, thin wire in the shape of a spring that is wrapped tightly around a tube. When electricity passes through it, it produces heat and red light.
5
one of the small equal parts into which a piece of music is divided, containing a fixed number of beats:

Examples:

Normally the emphasis falls on the first beat of the bar.
beats in a bar Waltzes have three beats in a bar.
6
a vertical line that divides one bar from another in a written piece of music
7
a way of measuring the strength of a signal or connection or the power available in a device, that is shown as a vertical line on a phone or computer screen:

Examples:

There was a hotspot where you could get a decent mobile phone signal - two, sometimes even three bars.
The battery meter showed one bar of power left.
8
a
9
something that prevents a particular event or development from happening:

Examples:

bar to A lack of formal education is no bar to becoming rich.
10

Examples:

Sensors behind the bulkheads measured the water pressure at up to four bars, equivalent to a water depth of 40 metres.
11
to prevent something or someone from doing something or going somewhere, or to not allow something:

Examples:

The rule bars the use of evidence secured through an illegal search.
be barred from The incident led to him being barred from the country.
be barred to Most of the trails are barred to private vehicles.
bar someone's way I tried to push past her, but she barred my way (= stood in front of me and prevented me from getting past).
12
to put bars across something, especially to keep it closed:

Examples:

We barred the door to stop anyone getting into the room.
13

Examples:

Everyone is leaving the village, bar the very old and ill.
14
lawyers who are allowed to argue a case in a higher court
15
all lawyers thought of as a group
16
to gain a qualification as a lawyer who can argue a case in a higher court:

Examples:

She studied law and was called to the Bar in 2013.
17

Examples:

After being admitted to the bar in 1998, he represented other people who had got into trouble with the regulators.
18
a strong pole, esp. one made of metal, used as a support, to force something to move, or to block an opening:

Examples:

He stuck his hand through the bars of the cage
19
A bar is also any of various small objects having a rectangular shape:

Examples:

20
a place, sometimes within a restaurant, where alcoholic drinks are served, or a long, high table in such a place along which people stand or sit while drinking:

Examples:

He used to just sit in a bar and listen to jazz.
They sat at the bar and chatted with the bartender.
21
one of the small equal parts into which a piece of music is divided, containing a fixed number of beats:

Examples:

He played four bars of music.
22
A bar is also one of the vertical lines that divide a piece of music into equal parts.
23

Examples:

She passed the Massachusetts bar exam on her first try.
24
to prevent someone from doing something or going somewhere:

Examples:

Protesters tried to break into the building, but the police barred their way.
25
to put a strong pole or poles across an opening:

Examples:

We barred the windows as protection against burglars.
26
except for:

Examples:

He’s the greatest pitcher of all time, bar none (= no one else is better).
27
something that prevents a particular event or development from happening:

Examples:

a bar (to sth) A lack of formal education does not have to be a bar to success in business and politics.
28
to prevent something or someone from doing something or going somewhere, or to refuse to allow something:

Examples:

bar sb/sth from (doing) sth Lawyers on both sides have been barred from discussing the case in the press.
29
the group of barristers (= lawyers who are allowed to argue a case in a higher court), or the profession of such lawyers:

Examples:

a member of the bar
He was called to the bar (= became a barrister) in 2006.
It has been a privilege to have practised at the Bar for 47 years.
30
all lawyers considered as a group, or the profession of law:

Examples:

Effectiveness requires that other members of the bar trust your word and credibility.
She was admitted to the bar (= became a lawyer) in her early thirties.

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