variants
or less commonly bar code
plural barcodes also bar codes
1
: a code consisting of a group of printed and variously patterned bars and spaces and sometimes numerals that is designed to be scanned and read into computer memory and that contains information (such as identification) about the object it labels
… one version of the barcode reader used in supermarkets employs a laser scanner.—
Science
ScienceI on the other hand boarded the traditional way. I handed my paper printout to the airport personnel, who scanned the barcode before letting me proceed.—Sanjeeb Patel
Sanjeeb Patel2
biology
: something (such as a DNA sequence) that uniquely identifies a species of organism
… they now plan to analyze each fish sample by decoding a certain tiny piece of DNA that can serve as a unique bar code for the species.—Christen Brownlee
Christen Brownlee
bar coding
noun
Examples of barcode in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The scan-to-cook feature will even send cooking instructions to the oven by simply scanning a frozen item’s barcode.
—Jordan Liberty Phillips, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2025
Examine gift cards closely before buying them, paying special attention to the barcodes.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
Since the votes are the barcodes, voters can’t verify anything.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025
Food apps that can scan the barcode on a package and rank nutrition are becoming more popular.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 May 2025
Marilyn Marks, executive director of the Coalition for Good Governance, a lead plaintiff in the litigation over the system, said her group has not taken a position on Trump’s executive order but said the federal Election Assistance Commission should stop certifying machines that use barcodes.
—Charlotte Kramon, Twin Cities, 19 May 2025
After their creation and subsequent release to the public, the potential of their information storage capabilities became clear as businesses devised creative ways of using these two-dimensional barcodes.
—Benjamin Claeys, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
An Idaho man’s theft scheme involving a literal crime ring and a soup barcode just landed him in the can.
—Terry Dickerson, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2025
What’s left is like a digital barcode for your eyeball that’s encrypted, split into pieces, and scattered across a decentralized network, kind of like a glitter bomb.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Jordan Liberty Phillips, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2025
Examine gift cards closely before buying them, paying special attention to the barcodes.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
Since the votes are the barcodes, voters can’t verify anything.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025
Food apps that can scan the barcode on a package and rank nutrition are becoming more popular.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 May 2025
Marilyn Marks, executive director of the Coalition for Good Governance, a lead plaintiff in the litigation over the system, said her group has not taken a position on Trump’s executive order but said the federal Election Assistance Commission should stop certifying machines that use barcodes.
—Charlotte Kramon, Twin Cities, 19 May 2025
After their creation and subsequent release to the public, the potential of their information storage capabilities became clear as businesses devised creative ways of using these two-dimensional barcodes.
—Benjamin Claeys, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
An Idaho man’s theft scheme involving a literal crime ring and a soup barcode just landed him in the can.
—Terry Dickerson, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2025
What’s left is like a digital barcode for your eyeball that’s encrypted, split into pieces, and scattered across a decentralized network, kind of like a glitter bomb.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barcode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barcode. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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