bar
The word carries a strong sense of physical or legal obstruction. When used as a verb, it evokes the image of a heavy bolt sliding into place, creating an impassable barrier. This translates into social or professional contexts as a hard, non-negotiable exclusion. In its noun forms, the word shifts between the tangible (metal, soap, chocolate) and the social (the pub, the legal profession). The transition from a physical counter to the entire establishment, and then to the legal guild, shows how a single point of interaction evolved into a symbol of an entire industry.
Meanings
An establishment that serves alcoholic drinks.
"We met at a quiet bar downtown."
A legal professional or the collective body of lawyers.
"He was admitted to the bar last year."
A musical measure containing a specific number of beats.
"The song changes key at the fourth bar."