BARRACOOTA, -CUDA, bar'a-k[=oo]'ta, -k[=oo]'da, _n._ a voracious West
Indian fish.--Also BARRACOU'TA, an Australian food-fish. [Sp.]
BARRAGE, bär'[=a]j, _n._ the forming of an artificial bar in order to
deepen a river. [Fr. _barrage_--_barre_, bar.]
BARRATOR, bar-[=a]t'or, _n._ one who vexatiously stirs up lawsuits,
quarrels, &c.--_adj._ BAR'RATROUS.--_adv._ BAR'RATROUSLY.--_n._ BAR'RATRY,
fraudulent practices on the part of the master or mariners of a ship to the
prejudice of the owners: vexatious litigation, or the stirring up of suits
and quarrels among subjects, forbidden under penalties to lawyers: traffic
in offices of church or state. [O. Fr. _barateor_--_barat_, deceit; traced
by some to Gr. _prattein_, by others to a Celt. or a Scand. origin.]
BARREL, bar'el, _n._ a cylindrical wooden vessel made of curved staves
bound with hoops: the quantity which such a vessel contains (36 imperial
gallons of ale and beer): a certain weight or quantity of other goods
usually sold in casks called barrels: anything long and hollow, as the
barrel of a gun, or cylindrical and barrel-shaped.--_v.t._ to put in a
barrel.--_n._ BAR'REL-BULK, a measurement of five cubic feet.--_p.adj._
BAR'RELLED, having a barrel or barrels: placed in a barrel.--_ns._
BAR'REL-OR'GAN, an organ in which the music is produced by a barrel or
cylinder set with pins, the revolution of which opens the key-valves and
produces the music; BARREL-VAULT, a vault with a simple semi-cylindrical
roof.--_adj._ BAR'REL-VAULT'ED. [Fr. _baril_ (Sp. _barril_, It.
_barile_)--Low L. _barile_, _barillus_, possibly from _barra_, bar.]
BARREN, bar'en, _adj._ incapable of bearing offspring: unfruitful: dull,
stupid: unprofitable (with _of_).--_adj._ BAR'REN-BEAT'EN.--_adv._
BAR'RENLY.--_n._ BAR'RENNESS.--_adjs._ BAR'REN-SPIR'ITED; BAR'REN-WIT'TED.
[O. Fr. _barain_, _brahain_, _brehaing_, perh. from _bar_, man, as if
'male-like, not producing offspring.']
BARRET, bar'et, _n._ a flat cap, esp. the BIRETTA (q.v.). [Fr. _barrette_,
Sp. _birreta_. See BIRETTA.]
BARRICADE, bar'ik-[=a]d, _n._ a temporary fortification raised to hinder
the advance of an enemy, as in the street fights of Parisian
insurrections.--_v.t._ to obstruct: to fortify.--Earlier form
BARRIC[=A]'DO. [Fr.; _barrique_, a cask, the first street barricades having
consisted of casks filled with stones, &c. See BAR.]