barbule

American  

[bahr-byool] / ˈbɑr byul /

noun

1. a small barb.

2. any of the small processes fringing the barbs of a feather.

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barbule British  

/ ˈbɑːbjuːl /

noun

1. a very small barb

2. ornithol any of the minute hairs that project from a barb and in some feathers interlock by hooks and grooves, forming a flat vane

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barbule Scientific  

/ bär′byo̅o̅l /

1. A small barb or pointed projection, especially one that fringes the edges of the barbs of feathers.

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Etymology

Origin of barbule

From the Latin word barbula, dating back to 1825–35. See barb ¹, -ule

Example Sentences

Through a common magnifying glass each tiny barbule was seen to be ringed with gray and silvery white, so finely that the rings could hardly be seen.

From In Nesting Time by Miller, Olive Thorne