bar sinister

noun

plural bars sinister or bar sinisters

: a supposed heraldic charge widely believed to be a mark of bastardy

: the fact or condition of being born to parents who are not married to each other

back in the days when the bar sinister was a real obstacle to social acceptance

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of bar sinister was in 1823

See more words from the same year

Style

“Bar sinister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bar%20sinister. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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