# barcode

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbɑː.kəʊd/ · frequency rank #33,141

## Definitions
1. Any set of machine-readable parallel bars or concentric circles, varying in width, spacing, or height, encoding information according to a symbology.
2. A portion of a gene that identifies a particular species.
3. An instance of self-harm, typically with multiple parallel cuts along a line, similar in form to a machine barcode.

## Etymology
Compound of bar + code. First attested in 1963 for sense 1.

## Common misspellings (10)
`abrcode`, `bacrode`, `barccode`, `barcdoe`, `barcodde`, `barcoed`, `barocde`, `barrcode`, `bbarcode`, `bracode`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/barcode