barbule

noun

bar·​bule ˈbär-(ˌ)byül How to pronounce barbule (audio)
: a minute barb
especially : one of the processes that fringe the barbs of a feather see feather illustration

Examples of barbule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
They were packed into a dense, smooth layer found in the finest branches of the feather fossil, the barbules. — Jakob Vinther, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2017 Unlike in other shiny birds, such as hummingbirds or crows, the cassowary's glossiness is produced by the rachis, or the spine of the feather, rather than the barbules, or minute filaments fringing a feather. — Katie Hunt, CNN, 13 May 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of barbule was in 1813

Rhymes for barbule

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“Barbule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbule. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barbule

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