barbel
1 synonym for barbel, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A freshwater fish of the genus Barbus or a closely related group in the carp family.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A freshwater fish of the genus Barbus or a closely related group in the carp family.
“Anglers fish for barbel in the fast-flowing sections of the river.”
2. noun biology
A whisker-like sensory organ near the mouth of certain fish, such as carp, catfish and sturgeon.
“The catfish uses its barbels to feel for food on the riverbed.”
How to use barbel
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
The fish and anatomical senses are everyday terms among anglers and in general nature writing, while the anatomical sense also appears in biology.
Etymology
Barbel came into English from Middle English barbel, borrowed from Old French barbel. That word traced back through Vulgar Latin to Late Latin barbulus, a diminutive of Latin barbus, meaning barbel, which was itself linked to barba, meaning beard.
Full origin of barbel →