barre

1. A handrail fixed to a wall, as in a dance studio, used by ballet dancers as a support in certain exercises.
2. A fingering technique used with fretted stringed instruments in which a finger is laid across the fretboard to stop all or several strings at once.

[French, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *barra, of Gaulish origin.]

The wooden bar attached to the walls of a ballet studio at about waist height. It is used by dancers to aid balance during the exercises that constitute the first part of a daily class.

Abbreviation for bright, alert, responsive; used in medical records.

Tutor's tip: A "bar" is a rod or stick, a place where alcoholic drinks are served, a court of law, or a barrier. A "barre" is a wooden railing used for ballet practice. A "bahr" is a body of water.