Word
barry
Phoneticsbar·ry
/ˈbæɹi/
Definitions
01a person's name
n. a common first name for men, or a family name.
n. a male given name of Irish origin, or a surname derived from Irish, Scottish, or Welsh place names.
“Barry and his brother decided to go for a walk in the park.”
“The author Barry Lopez is widely celebrated for his profound reflections on the relationship between human culture and the natural landscape.”
02a place name
n. the name of several towns or locations, most famously a town in Wales.
n. a toponym referring to various locations, most notably a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
“We took the train to Barry to spend the day at the beach.”
“The port of Barry became one of the world's largest coal-exporting gateways during the height of the industrial revolution in South Wales.”
03heraldry pattern
n. a pattern on a shield or flag made of horizontal stripes of two different colours.
n. a field divided into an even number of horizontal parts of alternating tinctures.
“The knight's shield featured a barry pattern of silver and blue.”
“The coat of arms is described as barry of six, argent and azure, representing the family's ancient maritime connections.”
Technical
Usage
Usually followed by 'of' and a number to indicate how many stripes are present.
04having stripes
adj. having bars or bands of different colours.
adj. marked by or consisting of transverse bars or bands of colour.
“The designer chose a barry fabric for the new curtains.”
“The specimen was identified by its distinct barry markings, which served as a natural camouflage against the dappled light of the forest floor.”
Technical
Etymology
Anglicized form of Irish Barra, short form of Fionnbharr, from fionn (“white”) + barr (“head”).
In Wales, said to be named after Saint Baruc, who was buried on Barry Island, from Welsh Barrwg, a name of uncertain origin but possibly related to Irish barr (“hill, summit”).
Diminutive forms with -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.