English Vocabulary (A - D)

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Barbara

A Dictionary of First Names | 2006 | | Copyright

Barbara ♀ From Latin, meaning ‘foreign woman’ (a feminine form of barbarus ‘foreign’, from Greek, referring originally to the unintelligible chatter of foreigners, which sounded to the Greek ear like no more than bar-bar). St Barbara has always been one of the most popular saints in the calendar, although there is some doubt whether she ever actually existed. According to legend, she was imprisoned in a tower and later murdered by her father, who was then struck down by a bolt of lightning. Accordingly, she is the patron of architects, stonemasons, and fortifications, and of firework makers, artillerymen, and gunpowder magazines.

Variant: Barbra (a modern contracted spelling, as in the case of the singer, actress, and film director Barbra Streisand, b. 1942).
Short form: Barb (mainly North American, informal).
Pet forms: Barbie, Babs, Babette.

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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Barbara2.html

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Barbara2.html

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Barbara

A Dictionary of First Names | 2006 | | Copyright

Barbara ♀ (French) Greek: ‘foreign woman’.

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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Barbara3.html

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Barbara3.html

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Barbara

A Dictionary of First Names | 2006 | | Copyright

Barbara ♀ Greek: ‘foreign woman’.

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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Barbara1.html

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Barbara1.html

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Barbara

A Dictionary of First Names | 2006 | | Copyright

Barbara ♀ Greek. .

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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Barbara.html

PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Barbara." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Barbara.html

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Barbara

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

Barbara •Altamira, chimera, clearer, Elvira, era, hearer, Hera, hetaera, interferer, lempira, lira, lire, Madeira, Megaera, monstera, rangatira, rearer, scorzonera, sera, shearer, smearer, sneerer, steerer, Thera, Utsire, Vera •acquirer, admirer, enquirer, firer, hirer, inquirer, requirer, wirer •devourer, flowerer, scourer •Angostura, Bonaventura, bravura, Bujumbura, caesura, camera obscura, coloratura, curer, Dürer, durra, Estremadura, figura, fioritura, Führer, insurer, Jura, juror, Madura, nomenklatura, procurer, sura, surah, tamboura, tempura, tourer •labourer (US laborer) • Canberra •Attenborough •Barbara, Scarborough •Marlborough • Farnborough •Deborah • rememberer •Gainsborough • Edinburgh •Aldeburgh • blubberer •Loughborough •lumberer, slumberer •Peterborough •Berbera, gerbera •manufacturer • capturer • lecturer •posturer • torturer • nurturer •philanderer • gerrymanderer •slanderer •renderer, tenderer •dodderer •squanderer, wanderer •borderer • launderer • flounderer •embroiderer • Kundera •blunderer, plunderer, thunderer, wonderer •murderer • amphora • pilferer •offerer • sufferer •staggerer, swaggerer •sniggerer •lingerer, malingerer •treasurer • usurer • injurer • conjuror •perjurer • lacquerer •Ankara, hankerer •bickerer, dickerer •tinkerer • conqueror • heuchera •cellarer • cholera •camera, stammerer •armourer (US armorer) •ephemera, remora •kumara • woomera • murmurer •Tanagra • genera • gunnera •Tampere, tamperer •Diaspora •emperor, Klemperer, tempera, temperer •caperer, paperer •whimperer • whisperer • opera •corpora • tessera • viscera • sorcerer •adventurer, venturer •batterer, chatterer, flatterer, natterer, scatterer, shatterer •banterer •barterer, charterer •plasterer • shelterer • pesterer •et cetera • caterer •titterer, twitterer •potterer, totterer •fosterer •slaughterer, waterer •falterer, palterer •saunterer • poulterer •bolsterer, upholsterer •loiterer • roisterer • fruiterer •flutterer, mutterer, splutterer, stutterer, utterer •adulterer • musterer • plethora •gatherer • ditherer • furtherer •favourer (US favorer), waverer •deliverer, shiverer •hoverer •manoeuvrer (US maneuverer) •discoverer, recoverer

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"Barbara." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Barbara." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Barbara.html

"Barbara." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Barbara.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

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