[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

barren \bar"ren\ ba^r"ren, a. oe. barein, of. brehaing,
   fem. brehaigne, baraigne, f. br'ehaigne; of uncertain
   origin; cf. arm. br'ekha~n, markha~n, sterile; ll.
   brana a sterile mare, principally in aquitanian and spanish
   documents; bisc. barau, baru, fasting.
   1. incapable of producing offspring; producing no young;
      sterile; -- said of women and female animals.
      1913 webster

            she was barren of children.           --bp. hall.
      1913 webster

   2. not producing vegetation, or useful vegetation; sterile.
      "barren mountain tracts." --macaulay.
      1913 webster

   3. unproductive; fruitless; unprofitable; empty.
      1913 webster

            brilliant but barren reveries.        --prescott.
      1913 webster

            some schemes will appear barren of hints and matter.
                                                  --swift.
      1913 webster

   4. mentally dull; stupid. --shak.
      1913 webster

   barren flower, a flower which has only stamens without a
      pistil, or which has neither stamens nor pistils.

   barren grounds geog., a vast tract in british america
      northward of the forest regions.

   barren ground bear zool., a peculiar bear, inhabiting the
      barren grounds, now believed to be a variety of the brown
      bear of europe.

   barren ground caribou zool., a small reindeer rangifer
      groenlandicus peculiar to the barren grounds and
      greenland.
      1913 webster
see also:
barren flower barren grounds barren ground bear barren ground caribou rangifer groenlandicus 

Grounds >> G Words
Grounds, definition of term: Grounds
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Barren >> B Words
Barren, definition of term: Barren
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