Barbel

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Barb \Barb\ (b[aum]rb), n. [F. barbe, fr. L. barba beard. See
     {Beard}, n.]
     1. Beard, or that which resembles it, or grows in the place
        of it.
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              The barbel, so called by reason of his barbs, or
              wattles in his mouth.                 --Walton.
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     2. A muffler, worn by nuns and mourners. [Obs.]
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     3. pl. Paps, or little projections, of the mucous membrane,
        which mark the opening of the submaxillary glands under
        the tongue in horses and cattle. The name is mostly
        applied when the barbs are inflamed and swollen. [Written
        also {barbel} and {barble}.]
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     4. The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook,
        etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence:
        Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or
        crosswise to something else. "Having two barbs or points."
        --Ascham.
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     5. A bit for a horse. [Obs.] --Spenser.
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     6. (Zool.) One of the side branches of a feather, which
        collectively constitute the vane. See {Feather}.
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     7. (Zool.) A southern name for the kingfishes of the eastern
        and southeastern coasts of the United States; -- also
        improperly called {whiting}.
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     8. (Bot.) A hair or bristle ending in a double hook.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Barbel \Bar"bel\ (b[aum]r"b[e^]l), n.[OF. barbel, F. barbeau,
     dim. of L. barbus barbel, fr. barba beard. See 1st {Barb}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Zool.) A slender tactile organ on the lips of certain
        fishes.
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     2. (Zool.) A large fresh-water fish ({Barbus vulgaris}) found
        in many European rivers. Its upper jaw is furnished with
        four barbels.
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     3. pl. Barbs or paps under the tongues of horses and cattle.
        See 1st {Barb}, 3.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  barbel
       n : slender tactile process on the jaws of a fish [syn: {feeler}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  19 Moby Thesaurus words for "barbel":
     antenna, barb, barbule, bristle, cat whisker, feeler, palp, palpus,
     setula, setule, striga, stubble, tactile cell, tactile corpuscle,
     tactile hair, tactile organ, tactile process, tactor, vibrissa