The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - bar n.

1) rod, shaft, pole, stick, stake: A heavy iron bar is used to tamp the dynamite into place in the hole. 2) strip, stripe, band, belt; streak, line: The company trade mark is a narrow red bar around the barrel of every ball-point pen. 3) barrier, obstacle, obstruction, barricade, hindrance, block, deterrent, impediment; ban, embargo: A steel bar was across the entrance. Her pride proved a bar to her success. There is a bar against importing spirits. 4) sandbar, shallow, shoal, bank, sandbank: Because the keel is too deep, the sloop will be unable to cross the bar till high tide. 5) tribunal, court, courtroom, lawcourt, bench: The former mayor was found guilty of corruption at the bar of public opinion. 6) bar-room, saloon, public house, caf‚, lounge, cocktail lounge, tavern, taproom, canteen, Brit local, wine bar; Colloq pub; Slang boozer, gin-mill: I was at the bar on my third beer when she walked in. 7) counter: We had a quick lunch at the sandwich bar. --v. 8) fasten, close up, secure, shut up; lock, lock up, padlock: We tried to get in through the window, but they had barred it. 9) block, obstruct, stop, stay, hinder, keep (out) , shut out, exclude, prevent, forbid, prohibit, set aside; forestall, impede, hamper, retard, balk, barricade; ban, embargo: After his behaviour, he was barred from the club for a year. A huge man in an ill-fitting dinner-jacket barred my way. The regulations bar the import of firearms. --prep. 1) 0 except (for) , excepting, excluding, barring, outside (of) , save for, aside from, but: It's all over now bar the shouting.