Barbary
Syllabification: (Bar·ba·ry)
Pronunciation: /ˈbärbərē/
(also Barbary States)
Definition of Barbary
- a former name for the Saracen countries of north and northwestern Africa, together with Moorish Spain. The area was noted between the 16th and 18th centuries as a haunt of pirates. Compare with Maghreb.
Origin:
based on Arabic barbar (see Berber)