Definition of bar noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

bar

noun

bɑː(r)

bɑːr

for drinks/food

1 [countable] a place where you can buy and drink alcoholic and other drinksWe met at a bar called the Flamingo.the island's only licensed bar (= one that is allowed to sell alcoholic drinks)a cocktail barThe hotel has a restaurant, bar and swimming pool. (British English) I found David in the bar of the Red Lion (= a room in a pub where drinks are served). see also barroom, lounge bar, minibar, public bar, saloon bar

2 [countable] a long wide wooden surface where drinks, etc. are servedShe was sitting at the bar.It was so crowded I couldn't get to the bar.

3 [countable] (especially in compounds) a place in which a particular kind of food or drink is the main thing that is serveda sandwich bara coffee bar see also oxygen bar, snack bar, wine bar

of chocolate/soap

4 [countable] a piece of something with straight sidesa bar of chocolate/soapcandy bars

of metal/wood

5 [countable] a long straight piece of metal or wood. Bars are often used to stop somebody from getting through a spaceHe smashed the window with an iron bar.All the ground floor windows were fitted with bars.a five-bar gate (= one made with five horizontal bars of wood)

in electric fire

6 [countable] a piece of metal with wire wrapped around it that becomes red and hot when electricity is passed through itSwitch another bar on if you're cold.

in sports

7 the bar [singular] the crossbar of a goalHis shot hit the bar.

of colour/light

8 [countable] a band of colour or lightBars of sunlight slanted down from the tall narrow windows.

that prevents something

9 [countable, usually singular] bar (to something) a thing that stops somebody from doing somethingAt that time being a woman was a bar to promotion in most professions. see also colour bar

in music

10 (British English) (North American English measure) [countable] one of the short sections of equal length that a piece of music is divided into, and the notes that are in itfour beats to the barthe opening bars of a piece of music

law

11 the Bar [singular] (British English) the profession of barrister (= a lawyer in a higher court)to be called to the Bar (= allowed to work as a qualified barrister )12 the Bar [singular] (North American English) the profession of any kind of lawyer

measurement

13 a unit for measuring the pressure of the atmosphere, equal to a hundred thousand newtons per square metre see also millibar

Idioms

not have a bar of something

(Australian English, New Zealand English) to have nothing to do with somethingIf he tries to sell you his car, don't have a bar of it.

behind bars

(informal) in prisonThe murderer is now safely behind bars.

set the bar

to set a standard of quality or performance

The show really sets the bar for artistic invention.Sofia sets the bar very high for what she expects of herself.

more at lower the bar at lower verb, raise the bar at raise verb

Usage note: A bar of chocolateIf you want to describe a whole unit of a particular substance, or a group of things that are normally together, for example when you buy them, you need to use the correct word.a bar of soap/chocolate; a candy bara block of ice/stone/wooda bolt/roll/length of fabrica cube of ice/sugar; an ice/sugar cubea loaf of breada roll of film/carpeta slab of marble/concretea stick of guma bunch of bananas/grapesa bunch/bouquet of flowersa bundle of sticksa set/bunch of keysa set of chairs/glasses/clothes/guitar strings