BARNEY

Etymology 1

Noun

barney (plural barneys)

(obsolete, UK, slang) A lark, a romp, some fun.

(obsolete, UK, slang) A hoax, a humbug, something that is not genuine, a rigged or unfair sporting contest.

(obsolete, Harvard University slang) A poor recitation. [c. 1810]

(UK, Australia) A noisy argument.

(UK, Australia) A minor physical fight.

(US dialect, Boston) A student at Harvard University.

Adjective

barney (comparative more barney, superlative most barney)

(obsolete, UK, slang) insane crazy, loony.

Synonyms

• (noisy argument): quarrel, row, or See Thesaurus:dispute

• (fight): fisticuffs, scuffle, or See Thesaurus:fight

Verb

barney (third-person singular simple present barneys, present participle barneying, simple past and past participle barneyed)

(obsolete, Harvard University slang) To recite badly; to fail. [c. 1810]

(UK, Australia) To argue, to quarrel.

Synonyms

• (argue): bicker, have a barney, row, squabble, or See Thesaurus:squabble

Etymology 2

Noun

barney (plural barneys)

(United States, pejorative slang) A police officer, usually one perceived as inferior or overzealous.

Synonyms

• (police officer): fed, pig, or See Thesaurus:police officer

Anagrams

• brayne, nearby

Proper noun

Barney

A male given name from surnames, and a diminutive of Barnabas, Barnaby, Bernard, or Barnett.

A diminutive of the male given names Barnabas, Bernard, Barnett.

A surname based on the given names, or from the place name Barney, Old English "barn/barley island".

A city and village in North Dakota.

A village in Norfolk, England.

Anagrams

• brayne, nearby

Source: Wiktionary



RESET




Word of the Day

17 June 2025

RECREANT

(adjective) having deserted a cause or principle; “some provinces had proved recreant”; “renegade supporters of the usurper”


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Coffee Trivia

The average annual yield from one coffee tree is the equivalent of 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of roasted coffee. It takes about 4,000 hand-picked green coffee beans to make a pound of coffee.

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