a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter; he drowned his sorrows in whiskey at the bar

[ Syn: barroom , saloon , ginmill , taproom ]

a narrow marking of a different color or texture from the background; a green toad with small black stripes or bars; may the Stars and Stripes forever wave

[ Syn: stripe , streak ]

a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax); a bar of chocolate

[ Syn: cake ]

a portable .30 caliber automatic rifle operated by gas pressure and fed by cartridges from a magazine; used by United States troops in World War I and in World War II and in the Korean War

[ Syn: browning automatic rifle , bar ]

a horizontal rod that serves as a support for gymnasts as they perform exercises

a heating element in an electric fire; an electric fire with three bars'

(law) a railing that encloses the part of the courtroom where the judges and lawyers sit and the case is tried; spectators were not allowed past the bar'

a counter where you can obtain food or drink; he bought a hot dog and a coke at the bar'

a rigid piece of metal or wood; usually used as a fastening or obstruction or weapon; there were bars in the windows to prevent escape'

musical notation for a repeating pattern of musical beats; the orchestra omitted the last twelve bars of the song

[ Syn: measure ]

an obstruction (usually metal) placed at the top of a goal; it was an excellent kick but the ball hit the bar'

the act of preventing; there was no bar against leaving; money was allocated to study the cause and prevention of influenza

[ Syn: prevention ]

(meteorology) a unit of pressure equal to a million dynes per square centimeter; unfortunately some writers have used bar for one dyne per square centimeter'

a submerged (or partly submerged) ridge in a river or along a shore; the boat ran aground on a submerged bar in the river'

the body of individuals qualified to practice law in a particular jurisdiction; he was admitted to the bar in New Jersey

[ Syn: legal profession , legal community ]

prevent from entering; keep out; He was barred from membership in the club

[ Syn: debar , exclude ]

render unsuitable for passage; block the way; barricade the streets; stop the busy road

[ Syn: barricade , block , blockade , stop , block off , block up ]

expel, as if by official decree; he was banished from his own country

[ Syn: banish , relegate ]

secure with, or as if with, bars; He barred the door'