in courts of justice, denotes an inclosure made with a partition of timber, where the counsel are placed to plead causes, and where prisoners are brought to answer to indictments, &c. It corresponds to what among the Romans was denominated tribunal. The French call it barre d'audience. In England, lawyers who are called to the bar, or licensed to plead, are termed barristers, an appellation equivalent to licentiate in other countries.

in Heraldry, an ordinary in form of the fess, but much less. See HERALDRY.

in Music, a stroke drawn perpendicularly across the lines of a piece of music, including between each two a certain quantity or measure of time, which is various as the time of the music is either triple or common. In common time, between each two bars is included the measure of four crotchets; in triple, three. The principal use of bars is to regulate the beating of time in a concert. The use of bars is not to be traced higher than the time when the English translation of Adrian le Roy's book on the Tablature was published, namely, the year 1574; and it was not until some time after that the use of bars became general. Barnard's cathedral music, printed in 1641, is without bars; but bars are to be found throughout in the Ayres and Dialogues of Henry Lawes, published in 1653; from which it may be conjectured that we owe this improvement to Lawes.

in Hydrography, denotes a bank of sand or other matter, whereby the mouth of a river is in a manner choked up. The term is also used for a strong beam wherewith the entrance of a harbour is secured; but this is more commonly called boom.

BAR-LE-DUC, an arrondissement of the department of the Meuse, in France, extending over 560 square miles, comprehending eight cantons and 128 communes, and containing 75,580 inhabitants. The capital, a city of the same name, stands on the river Ormain, in a rich and beautiful district. It contains 1100 houses, with 9970 inhabitants. Long. 5. 50. E. Lat. 48. 46. N.

BAR-SUR-AUBE, an arrondissement of the department of the Aube, in France, extending over 461 square miles, and comprehending four cantons and ninety-two communes, with 37,500 inhabitants. The chief place is the city of the same name, in a district the wine of which is highly valued. It contains 4100 inhabitants. Long. 4. 44. E. Lat. 48. 13. N.

BAR-SUR-SEINE, an arrondissement of the department of the Aube, in France, extending over 648 square miles, comprehending five cantons and eighty-six communes, and containing 50,449 inhabitants. The chief place of the same name has a population of 2600 persons, employed in manufactures, and trading in the wine grown in its neighbourhood. Long. 2. 15. E. Lat. 48. 5. N.