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noun Uncommon

barrow

BA-roh

Barrow (noun) means a small cart with a single wheel, pushed by hand; a wheelbarrow. Example: “He wheeled a barrow of bricks across the yard.”

noun
1
A small cart with a single wheel, pushed by hand; a wheelbarrow.
"He wheeled a barrow of bricks across the yard."
"Market traders piled fruit high on their barrows."
2
An ancient burial mound of earth or stones.
"Archaeologists uncovered pottery inside the Bronze Age barrow."

How to use barrow

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a hand cart for moving loads, or an ancient earth mound used as a grave.

Common mistake

The burial-mound sense and the wheeled-cart sense are unrelated in modern use even though they share a spelling — context makes clear which is meant.

Word forms

barrows plural, barrows plural, barrows plural, barrows plural, Barrows plural

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He wheeled a _____ of bricks across the yard.

Etymology

From Old English beorg ("hill, mound, burial place"), related to the modern word "berg" as in "iceberg."

Origin: Old English

wheelbarrow tumulus barrowful lawn cart grave mound garden cart burial mound

Related words

Rhymes for barrow

See all rhymes for barrow →

Frequently asked questions

What does “barrow” mean?

The word “barrow” means a small cart with a single wheel, pushed by hand; a wheelbarrow. In plain terms, either a hand cart for moving loads, or an ancient earth mound used as a grave.

How do you pronounce “barrow”?

“Barrow” is pronounced BA-roh (/ˈbæɹoʊ/ in IPA).

How do you use “barrow” in a sentence?

Here is “barrow” used in a sentence: “He wheeled a barrow of bricks across the yard.”

What part of speech is “barrow”?

“Barrow” is a noun.

Where does the word “barrow” come from?

The word “barrow” comes from Old English. From Old English beorg ("hill, mound, burial place"), related to the modern word "berg" as in "iceberg.".

Is “barrow” a common word?

“Barrow” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “barrow” have?

“Barrow” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small cart with a single wheel, pushed by hand; a wheelbarrow.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial