Barbary
//ˈbɑː(ɹ)bəɹi// adj, name
adj, name ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 barbarian; non-Christian obsolete
Proper Noun
- 1 The Mediterranean coastal areas of North Africa that were used as a base by pirates in the 16th to 19th centuries. historical
"[King of] Moro[cco]. Ye Moores and valiant men of Barbary, How can ye ſuffer theſe indignities?"
Example
More examples"A camel is a gentle and pleasant tame beast whereof there are plenty in Africa especially in the Deserts of Libya, Numidia and Barbary by which Africans estimate their own wealth."
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Berber + -y, influenced by barbary (“barbarian, non-Christian”). See also Arabic بَرْبَرِيّ (barbariyy, “Berber”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English barbarye (“barbarian, non-Christian”), from Old French [Term?] and Medieval Latin [Term?].
Related phrases
More for "barbary"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.