barbershop

IPA/ˈbɑːbəʃɒp/
KK[bˈɑrbɚʃˌɑp]IPA/ˈbɑːrbərʃɑːp/

barbershop — noun

  • barbershopsingular
  • barbershopsplural

1. a place where a barber cuts hair, trims beards, and offers similar grooming serv

1.nounB1
Definition

a place where a barber cuts hair, trims beards, and offers similar grooming services

Example

Bilal waited outside the barbershop while his younger brother got a haircut.

go to the barbershop for a haircut

A striped pole spun slowly outside the neighborhood barbershop on Oak Avenue.

barbershop as a physical place in the street

Common collocations
  • neighborhood barbershop
  • local barbershop
  • go to the barbershop
  • work at a barbershop
  • barbershop chair
  • barbershop pole
Synonyms
  • barber's

    a common British English way to refer to the barber's shop

  • hair salon

    broader and often less male-focused, offering a wider range of beauty services

Grammar Patterns

go to the barbershop

barbershop + verb

Usage Note

Mostly American English. British English more often uses 'barber's' or 'barber shop'. The word usually suggests a traditional shop for men's haircuts and beard care rather than a general beauty salon.

Common Mistakes

I booked a haircut at the beauty barbershop near my office.
I booked a haircut at the barbershop near my office.
'barbershop' already names the type of shop, so it does not need 'beauty' before it.
My sister bought shampoo at the barbershop mall.
My sister bought shampoo at the shop inside the mall.
a barbershop is a specific business for haircuts and grooming, not a general store.

2. a style of unaccompanied four-part singing, usually by men, with very tight harm

2.nounC1
Definition

a style of unaccompanied four-part singing, usually by men, with very tight harmony in old popular songs

Example

The chorus sings barbershop at the county fair every July.

sing barbershop as a musical style

Joon discovered barbershop after hearing four old friends sing without instruments.

barbershop as unaccompanied group singing

Common collocations
  • sing barbershop
  • barbershop quartet
  • barbershop harmony
  • barbershop contest
  • traditional barbershop
Synonyms
  • close harmony

    a broader term for tightly spaced vocal harmony, not limited to this historical style

  • a cappella singing

    broader label for singing without instruments; it does not specifically imply barbershop harmony

Grammar Patterns

sing barbershop

barbershop + noun

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when it names the music itself. It often appears in phrases such as 'sing barbershop' or before another noun, especially 'barbershop quartet'. Distinguish this noun sense from the adjective sense, which only describes another music-related noun.

Common Mistakes

We sang a barbershop at the show.
We sang barbershop at the show.
here the word names a style of music, so it is usually uncountable.
The band played barbershop with drums and guitars.
The quartet sang barbershop without instruments.
the core style is closely tied to four voices singing without instrumental backing.

barbershop — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Barbershop' usually refers to a traditional place where a barber cuts hair and trims beards, often with a more male-focused image. In British English, people often say 'the barber's' for the same kind of place. A 'hair salon' is broader and can offer colouring, styling, and other beauty services for a wider range of customers. 'Salon' is even more general, and it may not involve barber-style grooming at all. If someone says, 'I stopped at the barbershop for a beard trim,' the choice of word suggests clippers, razors, and a barber's chair. If they say, 'I booked an appointment at the salon,' the focus is more likely on styling or beauty treatment than on a classic barber visit.

barbershop ↗barber's ↗hair salonsalon ↗

Etymology

LatinAnglo-FrenchOld EnglishEnglish

'Barbershop' began as a straightforward compound of 'barber' and 'shop', first naming the place where a barber worked. 'Barber' came into English through Anglo-French from a Latin word connected with the beard, while 'shop' is an old English word for a place of trade or work. In the United States, the word later developed a music sense because men were associated with singing together in barbershops, which also led to the adjective used for that close-harmony style.