Forms: 4–7 bare, barre, 7 barr, 4– bar. Pa. t. and pple. barred, 5–6 bard. [ME. barre-n, a. OF. barre-r (12th c. in Littré), f. barre BAR sb.1]
I. To make fast, fasten in, or out, with bars.
1. trans. To make fast (a door, etc.) by a bar or bars fixed across it; to fasten up or close (a place) with bars.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2788. Faste þe dores gon he bare.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XIV. 6018. The Troiens … tyrnyt the ȝates, Barret hom bigly with barres of yrne.
1530. Palsgr., 444/1. He hath barred his wyndowes with yron in stede of lattesses.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. i. 180. A Iewell in a ten times barr’d vp Chest.
1611. Bible, Neh. vii. 3. Shut the doores and barre them.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Bacler les ports … to bar-in the gun-ports of a ship.
1876. Grant, Burgh Sch., II. v. 187. The scholars … barred the School against the master.
fig. 1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., I. xvii. Their hearts with lead, with steel their sense is barr’d.
c. 1750. Shenstone, Ruin’d Ab., 169. Heard … Heavn’s decree With unremitting vengeance bar the skies.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, II. xi. Hearts … as marble hard, ’Gainst faith, and love, and pity barred.
† b. To surround with a barrier or fence. Obs.
c. 1430. Syr Tryam., 1188. To the felde they farde, The place was barryd and dyght.
2. To fasten in, shut up, or confine securely (a person or thing) by means of bars. Also transf. and fig.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 28. I was never bard ere … In sich an oostre as this.
1586. Warner, Alb. Eng., IV. xxii. (1597), 100. And bar him vp in walles.
1661. R. Davenport, City Nt.-cap, II. in Dodsl., O. P. (1780), XI. 297. I lock’d him Into my heart, and double-barr’d him there With reason and opinion.
1851. Ht. Martineau, Hist. Peace (1877), III. IV. xii. 100. Some peasants barred themselves into the yard of a cottage.
1875. B. Taylor, Faust, II. iii. II. 127. Efficient bolts they are; The greatest wealth they safely bar!
b. To bar out: to shut out with a bar or bars.
c. 1620. Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), 32. Yee grace barre out, and vanitie bolt in.
1680. W. Allen, Peace & Unity, 73. Sins … for which the Scripture doth expresly bar Men out of the Kingdom of Heaven.
1878. G. Macdonald, Phantastes, iii. 17. Their crowded stems barred the sunlight out. [See BARRING vbl. sb.]
3. To close or obstruct (a way of approach) by some barrier; to block up, make impassable.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. viii. 13. With his bodie bard the way atwixt them twaine.
1673. Temple, Ess. Irel., Wks. 1731, I. 120. The Haven of Dublin is barr’d to that degree, as very much to obstruct the Trade of the City.
1855. Kingsley, Heroes, II. 213. Sciron … had barred the path with stones.
1876. Green, Short Hist., i. § 6 (1882), 49. The two forts with which the king barred the river.
fig. 1751. Johnson, Rambl., No. 165, ¶ 2. The passes of the intellect are barred against her by prejudice and passion.
4. To obstruct, stop or prevent (a person’s progress, or a person in his progress).
1578. Thynne, Lett., in Animadv., Introd. 59. Since I ame … barred bodely to approche your presence.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., I. i. 291. What villaine Boy, bar’st me my way in Rome? Ibid. (1613), Hen. VIII., III. ii. 17. If you cannot Barre his accesse to th’ king.
1634. Preston, New Covt., 25. Moses … [was] barred from coming into the land of Canaan.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., II. lxix. Combined marauders half-way barred egress.
1878. B. Taylor, Deukalion, II. iv. 82. Bar with fire and steel her entrance.
5. Law. a. To arrest or stop (a person) by ground of legal objection from enforcing some claim.
1531. Dial. Laws Eng., II. xlix. (1638), 153. Such a warranty shall barre the heire.
1677. Yarranton, Eng. Improv., 15. Shall be a good Title to the Party Registring … and shall Barre all persons whatsoever.
1726. Ayliffe, Parerg., 158. Such Excommunication … shall not disable or bar his Adversary from his action.
1858. Ld. St. Leonards, Handy-bk. Prop. Law, XXIII. 182. For 20 years’ possession by a third person will bar both you and them.
b. To stay or arrest (an action); to exclude or prevent the advancement of (a plea, claim, right.)
1552. Huloet, Barre an accion, eximere actionem.
1595. Shaks., John, II. i. 192. A Will, that barres the title of thy sonne.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 372 b. If Tenant in taile … bee attainted of high treason, the estate taile is barred, and the Land is forfeited to the King.
1854. Lady Lytton, Beh. Scenes, II. II. § 12. 222. Settling a nominal sum on her to bar dower.
1884. Law Rep., Chanc. Div. XXVII. 530. The Plaintiff’s right to set [the deed] aside is barred by laches.
6. To hinder, exclude, keep back, prevent, prohibit (a person) from; to deprive or debar of.
1551. Wilson, Logike, Ep. A ij b. From the which they have beene heretofore barred by tongues unacquainted.
1579. A. M[unday], in Arb., Garner, I. 207. Not to be barred of his enterprise.
1668. Child, Disc. Trade (1694), 118. I know not why any should be barred from trading to those places.
1678. R. L’Estrange, Seneca’s Mor. (1702), 275. A Disease … barrs us of some Pleasures, but procures us others.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s F., 505. Last from her own home-circle of the poor They barr’d her.
1870. Bryant, Homer, XVI. II. 120. Lest the enemy seize our ships, and we Be barred of our return.
b. with double object. arch.
1577. Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619), 174. He goeth about to barre us our liberty of meeting.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., II. iv. 110. I will barre no honest man my house.
1692. R. Lestrange, Josephus’ Answ. Apion, II. (1733), 867. If they had, they would never have barr’d themselves the Comfort.
1855. Singleton, Virgil, I. 328. For Fates Bar Helenus the knowledge of the rest.
† c. with inf. phrase. Obs.
c. 1555. Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (1878), 224. Is there anything here that barreth those that be under the patriarch of Alexandria … to appeal to the see apostolic?
1622. Dekker, Virg. Mart., II. i. Wks. 1873, IV. 25. She will not bar yeomen sprats to have their swinge.
d. absolutely.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 34. For to shakhands freendly fear bars.
1624. Bedell, Lett., iv. 73. Errours … deadly, and such as barre from saluation.
7. To stop, hinder, prevent, prohibit (an action or event).
1559. Myrr. Mag., Dk. Clarence, lvi. 7. Yll dedes our destinies may barre.
1595. Spenser, Sonn., xliv. Orpheus with his harp theyr strife did bar.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 600. Ridgy Roofs … can scarce avail To barr the Ruin of the rattling Hail.
1822. T. Taylor, Apuleius’ Gold. Ass, VI. 132. Having barred the barking of the dog by … the remaining sop.
1865. Tylor, Early Hist. Man., xiii. 363. They bar marriage in the female line.
8. To exclude front consideration, set aside.
1481–90. [see BARRING prep.]
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., II. ii. 208. Nay but I barre to night, you shall not gage me By what we doe to night.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., I. 225. When next thou do’st invite, barre state, And give me meate.
1718. Free-thinker, No. 95. 287. I once more bar all Widowers.
1809. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), I. 176/1. We bar, in this discussion, any objection which proceeds [etc.].
9. To take exception to, object to.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., Philaster, II. 25. Good Prince, be not bawdy, nor do not brag; these two I bar.
1808. Wolcott (P. Pindar), One more Peep, Wks. 1812, V. 355. They call thee a fine China jar: But this I humbly beg to bar.
† b. To bar the dice: to declare the throw void. Cf. F. barrer ‘annoncer, quand les dés sortent du cornet, qu’on annule le coup’ (Littré). Obs. See also BARRED (dice).
1673. Dryden, Amboyna, II. i. He would have whip’d it up, as his own Fees … but that his Lord bar’d the Dice, and reckon’d it to him for a part of his Board Wages.
II. To mark with or make into bars.
10. To mark with a bar or bars, e.g., with stripes of color, the ‘bar’ in music, etc. Cf. BARRED.
c. 1340. [see BARRED].
c. 1430. Syr Gener., 5636. His shelde was … Barred of asure and of sable.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 24. Barren harnes, stipo.
1789. Burney, Hist. Mus., I. i. 7. Some of the letters were also barred … in order to change their symbolical import.
1821. Keats, Lamia, 50. Eyed like a peacock, and all crimson barr’d.
1878. Gurney, Crystallog., 12. When either h or l is barred.
11. To make into bars.
1712. Act 10 Anne in Lond. Gaz., No. 5022/2. All gilt and silver Wire, and Bars … and all … Utensils for barring or drawing such Wire.
12. To bar a vein in Farriery: to disengage the vein of a horse, and tie it above and below a portion which is to be operated upon.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., App. s.v., When horses have got traverse mules, or kibed heels … it is common to barr a vein.
