Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - bar

 I. noun  Usage: often attributive  Etymology: Middle English ~re, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *~ra  Date: 12th century  1.  a. a straight piece (as of wood or metal) that is longer than it is wide and has any of various uses (as for a lever, support, ~rier, or fastening)  b. a solid piece or block of material that is longer than it is wide a ~ of gold a candy ~  c. a usually rigid piece (as of wood or metal) longer than it is wide that is used as a handle or support; especially a handrail used by ballet dancers to maintain balance while exercising  2. something that obstructs or prevents passage, progress, or action: as  a. the destruction of an action or claim in law; also a plea or objection that effects such destruction  b. an intangible or nonphysical impediment  c. a submerged or partly submerged bank (as of sand) along a shore or in a river often obstructing navigation  3.  a.  (1) the railing in a courtroom that encloses the place about the judge where prisoners are stationed or where the business of the court is transacted in civil cases  (2) court, tribunal  (3) a particular system of courts  (4) an authority or tribunal that hands down judgment  b.  (1) the ~rier in the English Inns of Court that formerly separated the seats of the benchers or readers from the body of the hall occupied by the students  (2) the whole body of ~risters or lawyers qualified to practice in the courts of any jurisdiction  (3) the profession of ~rister or lawyer  4. a straight stripe, band, or line much longer than it is wide: as  a. one of two or more horizontal stripes on a heraldic shield  b. a metal or embroidered strip worn on a usually military uniform especially to indicate rank (as of a company officer) or service  5.  a. a counter at which food or especially alcoholic beverages are served  b. ~room  c. shop 2b  6.  a. a vertical line across the musical staff before the initial measure accent  b. measure  7. a lace and embroidery joining covered with buttonhole stitch for connecting various parts of the pattern in needlepoint lace and cutwork  8. standard wants to raise the ~ for approving new drugs  II. transitive verb  (~red; ~ring)  Date: 13th century  1.  a. to fasten with a ~  b. to place ~s across to prevent ingress or egress ~ the door  2. to mark with ~s ; stripe  3.  a. to confine or shut in by or as if by ~s  b. to set aside ; rule out did not ~ the possibility of further measures  c. to keep out ; exclude ~ring him from the club  4.  a. to interpose legal objection to or to the claim of  b. prevent, forbid a decision ~ring his participation  III. preposition  Date: 1714 except the country's most popular actor, ~ none  IV. noun  Etymology: German, from Greek ~os  Date: 1910 a unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals  V. abbreviation  1. ~ometer; ~ometric  2. ~rel BAR  abbreviation bachelor of architecture BAR  abbreviation Browning automatic rifle BAR  abbreviation ~uch