What does "barcode" mean?

Any set of machine-readable parallel bars or concentric circles, varying in width, spacing, or height, encoding information according to a symbology.

What is a synonym for "barcode"?

Common synonyms include: barcode label, code, data matrix, data string, identifier, label.

/ˈbɑː.kəʊd/ noun, slang

noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Noun

1
Any set of machine-readable parallel bars or concentric circles, varying in width, spacing, or height, encoding information according to a symbology.
2
A portion of a gene that identifies a particular species.
3
An instance of self-harm, typically with multiple parallel cuts along a line, similar in form to a machine barcode. slang

"The cashier scanned the barcode."

Compound of bar + code. First attested in 1963 for sense 1.