Definition of "barbed wire" [barbed wire]

• Twisted strands of fence wire with barbs at regular intervals. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Lebanon's state news agency said about 40 Palestinians from various refugee camps had gathered in the southern town of Oudyssa, and that a Lebanese army unit immediately cordoned off the area "and requested the men leave and keep away from the barbed wire for their own safety.""
• "Coils of barbed wire were added to makeshift security checkpoints set up at the entrances to the square."
• "The bartender was an over-the-hill ex-wrestler and competition weight lifter from New Orleans, with a walleye and a polished round head and strands of braided barbed wire tattooed around both his upper arms."