bar

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. a solid, rectangular piece of something, like chocolate or soap.

n. a solid, typically cuboid or cylindrical mass of a substance.

“He bought a large bar of dark chocolate to share with his friends.”

“The artisan soap was sold in a heavy bar, wrapped in recycled paper and tied with twine.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a long, straight piece of metal or wood.

n. a rigid, straight length of metal, wood, or other material, often used as a structural component or barrier.

“The windows were reinforced with iron bars for extra security.”

“The gymnast gripped the horizontal bar firmly before beginning her routine.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal

n. the profession of being a lawyer, or the exam you must pass to become one.

n. the legal profession collectively, or the qualifying examination for admission to practice law.

“After years of study, she finally passed the bar and became a lawyer.”

“The ethics committee of the state bar association is currently reviewing the conduct of the defence attorney.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a level of quality or success that people expect.

n. a standard or level of expectation against which something is measured.

“The new smartphone has set a high bar for its competitors.”

“By achieving record profits this quarter, the CEO has raised the bar for the entire executive team.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Computing

n. the small lines on a phone screen that show how strong the signal is.

n. one of several vertical symbols on a digital display indicating signal strength or battery life.

“I can't make a call right now because I only have one bar of signal.”

“The technician noted that despite having four bars of signal, the data transfer rate remained unacceptably slow.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Music

n. a small section of music, separated by a vertical line.

n. a rhythmic unit in musical notation, delimited by vertical lines on the staff.

“The pianist played the first few bars of the song to get everyone's attention.”

“The conductor asked the woodwind section to repeat the passage starting from the twelfth bar.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to officially stop someone from doing something or entering a place.

v. to exclude or prohibit someone from an activity or place; to obstruct a passage.

“He was barred from the club after he started a fight.”

“The new regulations effectively bar foreign investors from purchasing residential property in the city centre.”

C1 · Advanced Formal

prep. except for; not including.

prep. excluding or excepting a specific person or thing.

“It was a perfect day, bar a few clouds in the afternoon.”

“The project was completed on schedule, bar a few minor technical issues that were resolved within the week.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical

n. a scientific unit used to measure how much pressure there is in the air or water.

n. a metric unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals, approximately equivalent to atmospheric pressure at sea level.

“The diver checked his gauge to ensure the pressure was below two bars.”

“The laboratory equipment was designed to withstand a maximum internal pressure of five hundred bars.”