barre

¹ American  

[bahr] / bɑr /

Or bar

noun

Ballet.

1. a handrail placed at hip height, used by a dancer to maintain balance during practice.

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barré ² American  

[bah-rey] / bɑˈreɪ /

noun

1. Textiles. a pattern of stripes or bands of color extending across the warp in woven and knitted fabrics.

2. Textiles. a streak in the filling direction when one or more picks are of a color different from that of adjacent picks.

3. Music. a technique of playing a chord on a stringed instrument by laying a finger across the strings at a particular fret, raising their pitch.

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barré ¹ British  

/ ˈbæreɪ /

noun

1. the act of laying the index finger over some or all of the strings of a guitar, lute, or similar instrument, so that the pitch of each stopped string is simultaneously raised Compare capo 1

2. the playing of chords in this manner

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verb

1. to execute (chords) in this manner

adverb

1. by using the barré

barre ² British  

/ bar /

noun

1. a rail at hip height used for ballet practice and leg exercises

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Etymology

Origin of barre¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Origin of barré²

< French: literally, barred, past participle of barrer, derivative of barre bar ¹

Example Sentences

I have a Peloton subscription—I don’t even have a Peloton—because I love their barre and Pilates classes and some of their strength-training stuff.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

One is familiar and increasingly specific: a good leotard, fleece-lined tights, an extra water bottle, Band-Aids for blisters, putty-colored flats for barre, a pair of low, strappy heels for salsa.

From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026

You always want to go back and do a barre.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025

Sheena Gough is 89 years old but she can easily lift her leg on to a ballet barre to demonstrate elegant dance moves to her class.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2025

She might be in the studio right now with a number pinned to her leotard, grinning through the barre warm-ups to impress the Jillana School representatives.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day