1 [count] a : a building or room where alcoholic drinks and sometimes food are served
▪ We went to a bar for a drink. — see also sports bar, tiki bar
b : a counter where alcoholic drinks are served
▪ We sat at the restaurant's bar while we were waiting for a table. — see also cash bar, open bar, wet bar
c : a building or room where a particular food or drink is served
▪ a seafood bar ▪ a juice/coffee bar — see also salad bar, snack bar 2 [count] : a straight piece of metal, wood, etc., that is used as a tool, as part of a structure, or to keep people from entering or leaving through a door or window
▪ There were bars across all the windows. ▪ The door was secured with an iron bar. ▪ The pole-vaulter narrowly cleared the bar. [=the long bar that is set at a specific height and that a jumper tries to go over] ◊In U.S. English, bar is used figuratively in phrases like raise/lower the bar and set the bar higher/lower to refer to changing the standard that is used to judge whether someone or something is good, successful, etc.
▪ The company's new software raises the bar for its competitors. [=the company's new software is very good and its competitors will have to produce better software to compete with it] ▪ Critics say that he has lowered the bar on what is considered acceptable behavior by politicians. [=he has caused people to accept worse behavior by politicians] — see also crossbar, crowbar, parallel bars, uneven bars 3 [count] : a solid piece of something that is shaped like a rectangle
▪ She bought a chocolate/candy bar. ▪ a bar of soap 4 [count] : a straight line, stripe, or section that is longer than it is wide
▪ The bird's tail has an alternating series of white and black bars. [=bands] ▪ a menu bar [=a narrow section that is across the screen in a computer program and that shows the names of available menus] — see also bar code, bar graph, task bar, toolbar 5 [count] formal : something that makes it difficult or impossible to do or achieve something — + to ▪ His poor attitude was a bar to his success. [=his poor attitude prevented him from succeeding] 6 the bar a US : the profession of a lawyer
▪ She is a member of the bar. [=she is a lawyer] ▪ the American Bar Association ▪ She has been called to the bar. [=she has become a lawyer]
b or the Bar Brit : the profession of a barrister
c US : the test that a person must pass in order to be a lawyer
▪ She passed the bar on her first try. ▪ the bar exam/examination 7 [count] music a : a line in written music that shows where a measure begins
b : the beats between two bars in a piece of music
▪ I'm not sure I know that song. Can you hum a few bars? [=measures]