barcode

[ bahr-kohd ]

noun

1. a series of lines of varying width, printed, as on a container or product, that can be read by an optical scanner to determine charges for purchases, destinations for letters, etc. Universal Product Code.

verb (used with object)

, bar·cod·ed, bar·cod·ing.

1. to put a barcode on.

Word History and Origins

Origin of barcode¹

First recorded in 1960–65; bar ¹ (in the sense of “a band or strip”) + code

Example Sentences

The newly developed system, named CIBER, enables thousands of genes to be studied at once, by labeling sEVs with a kind of RNA "barcode."

From Science Daily

They quantified plastic bag sales by analyzing barcode scanner data on consumer purchases.

From Science Daily

It also makes space for immersive theater — see the whimsical investigative adventure that is “The Apple Avenue Detective Agency” — and even games that turn barcode scanners into controllers, such as “Wizard’s Warehouse: The Magick of Retail.”

From Los Angeles Times

These samples were then genetically tested using a species-specific marker called a DNA barcode.

From Salon

There are smartphone apps now available for the uncertain shopper, such as the Yuka app, with which you can scan a barcode and get a breakdown of how healthy the product is.

From BBC