barbershop
|bar-ber-shop|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɑrbərˌʃɑp/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɑːbə(r)ˌʃɒp/
place for haircuts and shaving
Etymology
'barbershop' originates from English, a compound of 'barber' + 'shop'. 'barber' comes from Latin 'barba' meaning 'beard' (via Old French 'barbier'), and 'shop' comes from Old English 'sceoppa' meaning 'booth' or 'stall'.
'barber' changed from Latin 'barba' to Old French 'barbier' and then Middle English 'barber'; 'shop' comes from Old English 'sceoppa' and became Middle English 'shop', and the compound 'barber shop' (later written 'barbershop') developed in Modern English to denote the place where a barber works.
Initially the elements meant 'beard' (barba) and 'booth/stall' (sceoppa), and the compound meant a place where a barber works; over time it retained that primary meaning and later acquired a secondary meaning referring to a style of close-harmony singing (20th century).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a shop where a barber cuts hair and shaves or trims men's beards.
He went to the barbershop for a haircut.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a style of close-harmony, a cappella singing (often performed by a quartet); also used to refer to a group that sings in this style.
The barbershop performed a set of four-part harmonies at the festival.
Synonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2026/01/14 13:38