A plate employed 
in machine-guns to assemble and hold the 
barrel-pen 
barrel-pen (bar' el-pen), . A pen with a cy- 
lindrical shank adapting it to slip upon a round 
holder. 
barrel-pier (bar'el-per), . A support for a 
military bridge formed of empty casks or bar- 
rels joined together in a raft, in the absence of 
pontoons or boats. The rafts of barrels for tin abut 
nients an- made fast to the shore on cadi side of the 
stream or body of water to be crossed, and those loriniiiu- 
the pier* arc anchored at proper intervals between the 
two banks. These raits are connected by sleepers or tim- 
bers, which are lashed to them and support the planks 
toruiiim the roadway of the hri'h - . 
barrel-plate (bur' el-plat), n. 
in machine-gnnfl to assem 
barrels in place about the axis. Tin- Catling gun 
ha- a front and a rear barrel-plate, the barrels pausing 
through both plates. 
barrel-saw (bar'cl-s&), n. A cylinder with a 
serrated edge, or a band-saw bent into a circle 
;in<l titled to a cylindrical frame, used for cut- 
ting barrel-staves, fellies, the curved work in 
furniture, etc. 
barrel-screw (bar'el-skr8), n. A powerful ap- 
paratus consisting of two large poppets or 
male screws, moved by levers inserted into 
their heads upon a bank of plank, with a female 
screw at each end: of great use in starting a 
launch. Also called bed-wren '. 
barrel-setter (bar'ol-set'er), n. A cylindrical 
mandrel used for straightening the barrel or 
truing tho bore of a firearm. 
(bar'el-shapt), a. 
459 
Hut it IDnonio of Florcm i | i- impre--itc within from 
Its vast open spaces, and trom the stalely and .simph 
though I'/n-fi'/i. ^randenr oi 1 it> pn-i^ and vaults and walls. 
r. I-:. ,Y. ./(../., i hnrch-lmilding in .Middle Ages. p. 22:1. 
Barren flowers, such as for any reason produce no sc, -d. 
Barren ground, unproductive beds of rock, 
especially with retard to coal, tor areas where there is no 
coal -seam of slltticient thick lie-- to be worked with profit. 
Barren measures, in -'"'/., those portions of coal 
measures which contain no workable scams of coal. 
Barren signs, in -'/"/.. (o-mini. i.eo, and \ ir-jo. Bar- 
ren stamens, ill '"''., such as produce no pollen ill thc 
anther. 
II. n. A tract or region of more or less un- 
productive land, partly or entirely treeless. 
The term is best known in the I nited states as the name 
of a district in Kentucky, "the llarrcns. underlaid l.\ 
the sulu-arhonifcrous limestone, but ixissessing a fertile 
soil, which was nearly or quite treeless when that Slate 
bei-an to be settled by the whites, but which at present, 
where not cultivated, is partly covered with tree-. In 
northeastern Canada the name Imrrrn* is given to n- 
less, grass-covered areas, once the beds of lakes, hut now 
desiccated and in most cases the exact counterpart ot n 
rious tracts existing in the western lulled states, and 
there generally called prairies, hut sonu-ti s /,.-'..,. The 
pine-barrens of the southern Atlantic States are sandy 
plains on which is a valuable grow th of southern or long- 
le 
leafed pine, 1'inlK [Hill'*' : 
The "pine barren" is traversed by several excellent 
roads, and a iimrninx ride or drive while the delicate ba/.u 
barrier 
Kv'n tbo' thrice again 
The red fnol-flll-y of the Seme 
Should pile her l,rr-;<-'"l''x with dead. 
Tennyun, In Memoriam, cxxvii. 
2. A teui]ioi-afy barrier of any kind designed 
In obstruct passage into or through a space in- 
tended to lie kept free fora particular use. 
3. Any bar or obstruction ; that which defends. 
'I here must be -uch a l"i i- 1 ''-'"' II would greatly annoy 
or ali-ohitch -top tin- curl cuts <>t the atmosphere. 
Dcrkm, 
4f. In nariil itrrli., a strong wooden rail, sup- 
ported by static h ions, extend! ng a cros- the fore- 
most part of the i|tiarter-deck, in ships of war, 
and backed with ropes, mats, pii sol' old cable, 
and full hammocks, as a protection against 
small shot in time of action. = Syn. /'", etc. s, .,- 
borri r. 
barricade (bar-i-kad'), r. (. ; pret. and pp. bar- 
liriiilnl, jipr. litirrii'inliiig. [ < luirririiile, n.] 1. 
To obstruct or block (a path or p:i>sage) witli 
a barricade. 2. To block or render irnpass- 
abli-. 
N"W all the pavement sounds with trampling i> ' -t. 
And the mix'd hurry ///--./.-- the sir. . t 
Wot/, Trivia, lii. 
still lingers among the forest of stems, and the air is full 
of tin- fresh scent of the pine woods, is not easily for- 
gotten. Fiirlni'ilitlii !! f. (N. S.), XXXIX. 17!-. 
To fertili/e especially the barrens of Surrey and lierk- 
shiiv. Ki'iinsli'ii. Life, II. ]l x>. 
[< barren, a.] 
Having the barrent (bar en), r. t. 
or quality of being barren, (a) Incapability of pro 
creation ; want of the power of conception. 
I pray'd for children, and thought barrennttt 
In wedlock a reproach. M i/fim, S. A., L 352. 
(b) Want of fertility -, total or partial sterility ; infertility : 
as, the barrenness of the land. (<) Want of the power of 
producing anything ; want of instructiveness, suggestive- 
ness, interest, or the like; want of matter: as, " 
nesg of invention," 
[< 
ing the eggs'of certain insects. . A cow not in calf for the year, 
barrel-vault (ba 
cylindrical vault 
tects, and empl _ ., 
builders before the reappearance of groined 
vaulting at the close of the eleventh century, 
barrel-vise (bar'el-vis), n. A bench-vise whoso 
jaws are grooved longitudinally, adapted for 
holding a gun-barrel or other similar object. 
barrel-work (bar'el-werk), . In mining, pieces 
of native copper large enough to be sorted out 
by hand and shipped in barrels, but not large 
enough to come under the head of mass copper. 
The latter is sent to the smeltiiig-works after being cut, if 
necessary, into pieces of manageable size, and is shipped 
without being barreled. [Lake Superior.] 
barren (bar'en), a. and n. [Early mod. E. also 
liamiine, < ME. barein, barain, < OF. "barain, 
braliain, brchaing, fern, baraine, baraigne, bre- 
haigne, mod. F. brehaigne, barren: origin un- 
known. The Bret, brechagn, sterile, is from F.] 
I a. 1 . Incapable of producing or that does not 
produce its kind: applied to animals and plants, barren-spirited (bar'en-spir'i-ted), 
There shall not be male or female barren among you. 
Dent. vit. 14. 
In particular (n) Sterile; castrated: said of male ani- 
mals. (6) Without fruit or seed : said of trees or plants. 
(c) Bearing no children ; childless ; without issue : said of 
a woman. 
3. To shut in and defend with a barricade; 
hem in. 
He is so Itari-i'-ftflii'il in bis house, 
And arrn'd with guard still. 
Chajiinini, Keu-nge of Bussy D'AmboiB, 1. 1. 
Also formerly barricado. 
To ren- barricader (ba"r-i-ka'der), n. One who barri- 
cades. 
a., 1 (rf).] barricadot (bar-i-ka'do), n. and v. Same as 
biirricHilr : the older form in English use. 
Shall I have a barricado made against my friends, to be 
barred of any pleasure they can bring in to me? 
B. Joiison, Epica-ne, lii. 2. 
And this leads me to wonder why Lisideins and many 
others should cry up the barrenness of the French plots, 
above the variety and copiousness of the English. 
Dryden, Ess. on Dram. Poesy. 
The barrenness of his fellow students forced him gener- 
ally into other company at his hours of entertainment. 
Johnson, Rambler, No. 10. 
(<() Defect of emotion, sensibility, or fervency. 
The greatest saints sometimes arc fervent, and some- 
times feel a barrenness of devotion. Jer. Taylor. 
. - - f ., a. Of a 
poor or mean spirit. Shak., J. C., iv. 1. 
barrenwort (bar'en-wert), n. [< barren + 
wort 1 .] The common name of Epimeilium, a 
genus of low herbaceous plants, natural order 
Jierberidacea;, having creeping roots and many 
stalks, each of which has three flowers. The 
. but Saral was only European species is E. alpimim. Species occur also 
Gen. xi. 29, 30. j n central Asia and Japan. American barrenwort, 
Vancouveria hexanttra, a nearly allied species found in 
Oregon. 
SA^t e 'M N D i 1 barret 1 !, w- [<F. barrettc (= Sp. barreta), dim. 
(d) Not bearing or pregnant at the usual season': said of * ba ^ e '^ b , ar = see b " r .\^ , A *"? ^ 
female animals : as! barren heifers. barret 2 (bar'et), W. [Also baret, < F. barrettc 
2. Producing little or no vegetation; unpro- = Pr. barreta, berreta = Sp. birreta^ = It. bcr- 
Tlie name of Abram's wife was Sarai, 
barren ; she had no child. 
For aye to be in shady cloister niew'd, 
To live a barren sister all your life. 
retta: see biretta, and birrun.] 1. Same as bi- 
retta. 2. A sort of ancient military cap or 
headpiece. Scott. Also called barret-cap. 
Ji. Curzon, Mouast. in the Levant, p. 144. barT6t 3 ti " See barrat. 
(bar'et-kap), n. Same as barret 2 , 2. 
Old England's sign, St. George's cross, 
His barret-cav did grace. 
Scott, L. of L. M., iii. 16. 
[Sp., < barreta. 
ductive ; unfruitful ; sterile : applied to land. 
Another rocky valley yawned beneath us, and another 
barren stony hill rose up beyond. 
3. In mining, unproductive ; unprofitable : ap- 
plied to rocks. 4. Void of vital germs. 
It is particularly difficult to protect a liquid from all 
germs, or to destroy all those which have penetrated it ; 
however.it is possible, and the liquid is then said to be barretero (bar-e-ta ro), n. 
barren. Science, III. 128. 
5. Mentally unproductive ; unresponsive; dull; 
stupid. [Rare.] 
There be of them, that will themselves laugh, to set on 
some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too. 
Shak., Hamlet, iii. 2. 
6. Devoid; lacking; wanting: with of: as, a barretor, barretry, etc. See barrator, etc. 
hill barren of trees; a mind barren of ideas. barr-fsh (bar'fish), n rrw 7,/,^2 A r, m . 
4-liA AWnwma /'/, XJ/1-1-1/O 
Our latest letters from America are of the middle of 
April, and are extremely barren of news. 
dim. of barra, a bar, crowbar : see barret 1 and 
bar 1 .] A miner who wields a crowbar, wedge, 
or pick. 
The ores . . . are so soft that a single barretero can 
throw down many tons a day. 
L. Hamilton, Mex. Handbook, p. 73. 
[Cf. bar 2 .] A name of 
the crappie, Pomvxys annularis, a centrarchoid 
fish. See cut under erappie. 
Je/ermn, Correspondence, I. 242. barricade (bar-i-kad'), n. [First in the form 
barricot, . [< Sp. Pg. barricn, a cask, barrel: 
see barricade.] A small barrel or keg. 
barrier (bar'i-er), M. [Early mod. E. also bar- 
ter, baryer (with term, accom. to mod. F.), 
< ME. barrere, barere, < AF. barrere, OF. bar- 
rii re, F. barriere = Pr. It. barriera = Sp. bar- 
n-rii =Pg. barreira (ML. reflex liarrera), < ML. 
"barraria, a barrier, < barra, a bar: see bar 1 .] 
1. In fort., anything, as a palisade or stock- 
ade, designed to obstruct entrance into a for- 
tified place. 2. pi. The palisades or railing 
surrounding the ground where tourneys and 
justs were carried on ; hence, the sports them- 
selves (formerly sometimes with the plural in a 
singular sense). 
Deny me not to stay 
To see a barriers prepared to-night. 
Webster, White Devil, Iv. 4. 
The young Earl of Essex and others among them enter- 
tained her majesty with tiltings and tourneys, barriers, 
mock fights, and such like arts. Oldys, Sir W. Kaleigh. 
3. Any obstruction ; anything which hinders 
approach, attack, or progress; anything stand- 
ing in the way ; an obstacle : as, to build a 
wall as a barrier against trespassers ; consti- 
tutional barriers. 
Constantly strengthening the barriers opposed to our 
passions. Bp. Porteous, Works, II. iv. 
A barrier to defend us from popery. 
lilt. Bnrnet, Hist. Own Times, an. 1885. 
4. A fortress or fortified town on the frontier 
of a country. 
The queen is guarantee of the Dutch, having possession 
of the barrier, and the revenues thereof, before a peace. 
Sieift. 
5. A limit or boundary of any kind ; a line of 
separation. 
I was persuaded that when once that nice barrier which 
marked the boundaries of what we owed to each other 
should be thrown down, it might be propped again, but 
could never be restored. A. Hamilton, Works, I. 213. 
6. The gate, in towns on the continent of Eu- 
rope, at which local revenue duties are collected. 
7. In China, a subordinate customs station 
placed on an inland trade-route for the collec- 
tion of duties on goods in transit. 8. In coal- 
mining, a solid block of coal left unworked 
between two collieries, for security against the 
accidents which might occur in consequence of 
communication between them. [Eng.]_ Bar- 
rier Act, the name given to an act passed by the General 
Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1697, providing 
that no change can be made in the laws of the church 
without first being submitted to all the presbyteries for 
their judgment, and having received the approval of at 
It is impossible to look without amazement on a mind 
so fertile in combinations, yet so barren o/ images. 
Macaulay, Petrarch. 
7. Not producing or leading to anything; prof- 
itless ; fruitless : as, barren tears ; a barren at- 
tachment. 8. Destitute of interest or attrac- 
tion; unsuggestive ; uninstructive ; bald; bare: 
as, a barren list of names. 
Uctliiuctuc ^ wi-i-ivc*ti /, rt. L- 1 - * AI ineir judgment, nmi iiaviu^ 
barricado (after Sp.), < F. barricade = It. bar- least a majority of them. The Barrier Act is held both 
-- r -' - - ' by the Established and by the Free Church as of high im- 
portance, and analogous regulations have been adopted 
liy other Presbyterian churches. Barrier reef. See 
reef. Barrier system, in North of England coal-mining, 
a method of working a coal-mine by pillar and stall, when 
solid masses or barriers of coal are left between the work- 
ing-places. Barrier treaty, a treaty fixing the frontier 
of a country ; especially, the treaty signed at Antwerp, 
Nov. 15, 1715, by Austria, Great Britain, and the Nether- 
ricata, < Sp. Pg. barricada, a barricade, lit. 
made of barrels, < barrica (= F. barrique), a 
barrel, prob. < barra, a bar: see bar 1 , and cf. 
barrel.] 1. A hastily made fortification of 
trees, earth, paving-stones, palisades, wagons, 
or anything that can obstruct the progress of 
an enemy or serve for defense or security. 
