# not touch with a barge pole

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; (signifies a strong aversion).

## Etymology
Probably derived from the barge poles that bargemen used to fend off wharfs and other boats.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/not-touch-with-a-barge-pole