▪ I. barring, vbl. n.
(ˈbɑːrɪŋ)
[f. bar v. + -ing1.]
The action of the vb. bar: a. Fastening up, in, or out, with a bar or bars. b. Exclusion, prohibition. c. Marking or ornamentation with bars. Also attrib.
| c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶343 The cost of embrowdynge the degise, endentynge, barrynge..and semblable wast of clooth. 1440 Promp. Parv. 24 Barrynge of dorys, repagulacio. Barrynge of harneys, stipacio. 1638 Penit. Conf. iii. (1657) 32 The exclusion and barring of haynous offenders from the assembly of Christians. 1875 Poste Gaius iii. 448 The barring of any subsequent suit. 1922 R. C. Punnett Mendelism (ed. 6) ix. 88 The cock in a pure breeding strain of Plymouth Rocks is homozygous for the barring factor. 1961 Bannerman Birds Brit. Isles IX. 2 The breast is also russet in colour, merging into black barring on the abdomen. |
d. barring-out: a mode of schoolboy rebellion, when they shut the schoolroom or house against the master, and refuse to admit him until their demands are conceded.
| 1728 Swift Jrnl. Mod. Lady Wks. 1755 III. ii. 194 Not school-boys at a barring-out Rais'd ever such incessant rout. 1847 Tennyson Princ. Concl. 66 Revolts, republics, revolutions, most No graver than a schoolboys' barring-out. 1876 Grant Burgh. Sch. Scot. ii. v. 188 Another barring-out in the high School of Edinburgh, ended more tragically. |
e. attrib., as in barring engine: small auxiliary engine for starting large mill engines; so called from the employment of a crow-bar to move a fly-wheel round for a portion of a revolution, and assist in setting the engine going.
| 1885 Engineer 22 May New Patent Barring Engine. |
f. The division of music into bars: see bar n.1 16.
| 1874 Chappell Hist. Mus. I. viii. 166 When bars were first introduced, they were mere measures of time, therefore old barring is not to be followed implicitly. 1920 Times Lit. Suppl. 6 Aug. 493/3 Latter-day music..shuns symmetrical barring and full closes. 1959 D. Cooke Lang. Mus. iv. 187 The same key, tempo, dynamics, phrasing, and barring. |
▪ II. ˈbarring, ppl. a.
[f. as prec. + -ing2.]
Fastening up, in, or out; restraining, prohibitive.
| 1567 Drant Horace' Ars P. A. v, Vnbearded youth, at last rid from the Tutors barring charge. |
▪ III. barring, prep.
(ˈbɑːrɪŋ)
[absolute use of pr. pple. of bar v. 8: cf. similar use of saving, excepting; also notwithstanding, pending, during.]
Excluding from consideration, leaving out of account, omitting, excepting, except.
| 1481–90 Howard Househ. Bks. 283, vjxx. yardes, barin one pese, of lynnen cloth. 1656 H. More Antid. Ath. iii. ix. (1712) 169 It is allow'd..to a Christian, barring the wrong done to Religion, to make use of the help and advice of the Devil. 1762 tr. Duhamel's Husb. i. viii. 38 Barring it's being so near the stable. 1793 Gouv. Morris in Sparks Life & Writ. (1832) II. 281 That immense army (barring accidents) will be completed. 1845 De Quincey Coleridge Wks. XII. 86 Nobody else, barring the author, knew. |
▪ IV. barring, vbl. n.
Obs. cry of elephant: see barr.