barcode

noun

bar·​code ˈbär-ˌkōd 

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

I 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

2

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

bar-coded

ˈbär-ˌkō-dəd 

adjective

bar coding noun

Examples of barcode in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Just scan the barcode on your detergents with the SmartHQ app and your washer will dispense the right amount of detergent every time. —Christopher Murray, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Each sound has a unique brain ‘barcode’ that accompanies it. —Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2025

Many clinics have also adopted electronic tracking systems that assign barcodes to eggs, embryos and sperm. —Alexandra Chaidez, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025

The app is intended to save customers time and money by offering the capability to open locked display cabinets and speed up in-store prescription pickups with personalized barcodes. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

New Rich Dataset Formats Traditional linear barcodes are being replaced by 2D barcodes and QR codes, which store significantly more data, enabling richer datasets and more granular traceability. —Amy Gu, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

Everything was affixed with a tag featuring a barcode and Heidi’s last name misspelled. —Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025

The healthcare sector sees benefits from this, too, as 2D barcodes enable healthcare professionals to track drug doses and expiration dates. —Benjamin Claeys, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024

Rockwell allegedly scanned the ring instead of the actual product barcodes to pay a fraction of their cost, the release said. —Terry Dickerson, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for barcode

• abode
• anode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad
• decode

Kids Definition

bar code

noun

: a code made up of a group of printed and variously spaced bars and sometimes numerals that is designed to be scanned and read into computer memory and that contains information (as identification) about the object it labels