Sharp projections on hooks or wire designed to prevent something from being removed easily, or pointed, hurtful comments meant to wound someone emotionally.
From Latin 'barba' meaning beard, as the barbs resembled small backward-pointing hairs. Originally referred to physical projections, then metaphorically to sharp remarks.
The word 'barb' comes from 'beard' because medieval fishermen noticed their barbed fishing hooks looked like tiny backward-pointing facial hairs—a perfect metaphor that stuck for 500 years!
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