noun
- Military. a heavy barrier of artillery fire to protect one’s own advancing or retreating troops or to stop the advance of enemy troops.
- an overwhelming quantity or explosion, as of words, blows, or criticisms: a barrage of questions.
- Civil Engineering. an artificial obstruction in a watercourse to increase the depth of the water, facilitate irrigation, etc.
- Mycology. an aversion response of sexually incompatible fungus cultures that are growing in proximity, revealed by a persistent growth gap between them.
verb (used with object), bar·raged, bar·rag·ing.
- to subject to a barrage.
noun
- military the firing of artillery to saturate an area, either to protect against an attack or to support an advance
- an overwhelming and continuous delivery of something, as words, questions, or punches
- a usually gated construction, similar to a low dam, across a watercourse, esp one to increase the depth of water to assist navigation or irrigation
- fencing a heat or series of bouts in a competition
verb
- (tr) to attack or confront with a barragethe speaker was barraged with abuse
1859, “action of barring; man-made barrier in a stream,” from French barrer “to stop,” from barre “bar,” from Old French barre (see bar (n.1)). Artillery sense is 1916, from World War I French phrase tir de barrage “barrier fire” intended to isolate the objective. As a verb by 1917. Related: Barraged; barraging.