bard

A piece of defensive (or, sometimes, ornamental) armor for a horse's neck, breast, and flanks; a barb. (Often in the plural.)

Noun

  1. A piece of defensive (or, sometimes, ornamental) armor for a horse's neck, breast, and flanks; a barb. (Often in the plural.)
  2. Defensive armor formerly worn by a man at arms.
  3. A thin slice of fat bacon used to cover any meat or game.
  4. The exterior covering of the trunk and branches of a tree; the rind.
  5. Specifically, Peruvian bark.

Origin

From French barde. English since the late 15th century.

Forms

bards

Noun Entry 2

  1. A professional poet and singer, like among the ancient Celts, whose occupation was to compose and sing verses in honor of the heroic achievements of princes and brave men.
    • He is a Welsh bard, and a man full of animation, anecdote, and independence; […] - 1837, Richard Llwyd, The Poetical Works of Richard Llwyd, the Bard of Snowdon:
    • A WEAPON, THE WARRIOR CARRIES. A SAW, THE IDIOT CARRIES. AN INSTRUMENT, THE BARD CARRIES. - 2023, Rundisc, Chants of Sennaar, Focus Entertainment, via Nintendo Switch, level/area: Gardens:
  2. A poet.
    • Shakespeare is known as the bard of Avon.
  3. A class of character that typically focuses on charisma, magic and supporting other players; a fantasy fiction character inspired by this archetype.
    • I saw a bard work a bit of magic once. He brought up a volunteer from the audience, insulted him in rather colorful fashion, and then made the man forget the insults—and then he did the same trick all over again, twice...
    • "Having a bard would be even less helpful than having a second wizard, " John interjects. - 2024 January 9, Kristy Boyce, Dungeons and Drama, Delacorte Press, →ISBN, page 66:

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH-dʰh₁o-der. Proto-Celtic *bardosder. Old Irish bard Scottish Gaelic bàrdder. English bard (15th c.) from Scottish Gaelic bàrd, from Old Irish bard, from Proto-Celtic *bardos (“bard, poet”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- (“praise”), and reinforced by Latin bardus, borrowed from Celtic. Cognate with Latin grātus (“grateful, pleasant, delightful”), Sanskrit गृणाति (gṛṇāti, “calls, praises”), Old Church Slavonic жрьти (žrĭti, “to sacrifice”).

Forms

bards

Derived

Bard bardcore bardcraft bardess bardic bardie bardish bardism bardlet bardlike bardling bardolator bardolatry bardship

Verb

  1. To cover a horse in defensive armor.
    • The defensive armor with which the horses of the ancient knights or men at arms were covered, or, to use the language of the time, barded, consisted of the following pieces made either of metal or jacked leather, the...
  2. To cover (meat or game) with a thin slice of fat bacon.

Forms

bards barding barded