Word
barney
Phoneticsbar·ney
US/ˈbɑɹni/
UK/bˈɑːni/
Definitions
01an argument
n. a noisy argument or a small, non-serious fight.
n. a heated verbal dispute or a minor physical scuffle. Common in British and Australian informal registers.
“The two neighbors had a bit of a barney over who should fix the broken fence.”
“What started as a minor disagreement over the bill quickly escalated into a full-blown barney that disturbed the entire restaurant.”
British English · Informal · Dialect
Usage
Often used with the verb 'have' (to have a barney).
Teaching tip
This term is very common in the UK and Australia but is rarely understood or used by American English speakers.
02to argue
v. to have a loud argument with someone.
v. to engage in a noisy or heated quarrel. Intransitive use.
“They are always barneying about something, but they usually make up quickly.”
“The couple spent most of their holiday barneying over the map instead of enjoying the scenery.”
British English · Informal · Dialect
Usage
Usually followed by the preposition 'about' or 'over'.
Teaching tip
The verb form is less frequent than the noun form; learners should prioritize the noun 'a barney'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03camera equipment
n. a special cover put over a movie camera to make it quiet while filming.
n. a soundproof housing or cover for a motion picture camera, designed to reduce the noise of the motor during recording.
“The crew put a barney on the camera so the microphone wouldn't pick up the motor noise.”
“Before the silent take, the cinematographer ensured the barney was properly fitted to dampen the mechanical whine of the older camera model.”
Technical
Synonyms
Etymology
From either the Old English personal name Bera (genitive singular Beran) or from Old English beren (“growing with barley”) + īeġ (“island”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.