bard

¹ American  

[bahrd] / bɑrd /

noun

1. (formerly) a person who composed and recited epic or heroic poems, often while playing the harp, lyre, or the like.

2. one of an ancient Celtic order of composers and reciters of poetry.

3. any poet.

4. the bard, William Shakespeare.

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bard ² American  

[bahrd] / bɑrd /

Also barde

noun

1. Armor. any of various pieces of defensive armor for a horse.

2. Cooking. a thin slice of fat or bacon secured to a roast of meat or poultry to prevent its drying out while cooking.

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verb (used with object)

1. Armor. to caparison with bards.

2. Cooking. to secure thin slices of fat or bacon to (a roast of meat or poultry) before cooking.

bard ¹ British  

/ bɑːd /

noun

1. 1. (formerly) one of an ancient Celtic order of poets who recited verses about the exploits, often legendary, of their tribes

   2. (in modern times) a poet who wins a verse competition at a Welsh eisteddfod

2. archaic any poet, esp one who writes lyric or heroic verse or is of national importance

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bard ² British  

/ bɑːd /

noun

1. a piece of larding bacon or pork fat placed on game or lean meat during roasting to prevent drying out

2. an ornamental caparison for a horse

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verb

1. to place a bard on

Bard ³ British  

/ bɑːd /

noun

1. an epithet of William Shakespeare

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Other Word Forms

• bardic adjective
• bardish adjective
• bardism noun
• bardlike adjective
• bardship noun

Etymology

Origin of bard¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Celtic; compare Irish, Scots Gaelic bard, Welsh bardd, Breton barz < Indo-European *gwrs-do-s singer, akin to Albanian grisha (I) invited (to a wedding)

Origin of bard²

1470–80; < Middle French barde < Southern Italian barda armor for a horse < Arabic bardaʿah packsaddle < Persian pardah covering

Explanation

If you’ve heard the word bard, it was probably in English class. William Shakespeare has been known as "The Bard" since the nineteenth century, but the word has a much older history, and, when it's not capitalized, it simply means "lyric poet." In civilizations without written histories, poets and singers were the ones to spread the word from place to place and across generations. In ancient and medieval Gaelic societies, the professional storytellers were called bards (or bardds, in Wales). Irish bards were part of a chieftain's household, and their job was to record and proclaim the exploits of their lord — although a bard might also compose blistering satires if he was displeased with his employer.

Example Sentences

Britain’s long war, meeting the Mets, a honky-tonk bard and more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Lansdale, the genre bard of East Texas, brings the deeply flawed and deeply human crime-fighting duo Hap and Leonard back for a 14th time.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

Joshua Oppenheimer is our age’s great bard of cognitive dissonance.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2024

Majok has staked her claim as the bard of Newark, N.J., where many of her plays are set, including “Sanctuary City.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2024

“Yes, I suppose,” said the bard with a sigh.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander