| Barre's sign | <clinical sign> if the hemiplegic is placed in the prone position with the limbs flexed at the knees, he is unable to maintain the flexed position on the side of the lesion but extends the leg. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| Barre, Jean | <person> French neurologist, *1880. See: Barre's sign, Guillain-Barre reflex, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Landry-Guillain-Barre syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| barred owl | <zoology> A large American owl (Syrnium nebulosum); so called from the transverse bars of a dark brown colour on the breast. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| barrel | 1. A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. 2. The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31 1/2 gallons; a barrel of flour is 196 pounds. 3. A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case; as, the barrel of a windlass; the barrel of a watch, within which the spring is coiled. 4. A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged. 5. A jar. 6. <zoology> The hollow basal part of a feather. <anatomy> Barrel bulk, the tympanum, or tympanic cavity. Barrel organ, an instrument for producing music by the action of a revolving cylinder. Barrel vault. See Vault. Origin: OE. Barel, F. Baril, prob. Fr. Barre bar. Cf. Barricade. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| barrel chest | A chest permanently resembling the shape of a barrel, i.e., with increased anteroposterior diameter, roughly equaling the lateral diameter; usually with some degree of kyphosis; seen in cases of emphysema. (05 Mar 2000) |
| barrel distortion | <microscopy> A distortion, or aberration. (05 Aug 1998) |
| barrel of oil equivalent | A unit of energy equal to the amount of energy contained in a barrel of crude oil. Approximately 5.78 million Btu or 1,700 kWh. A barrel is a liquid measure equal to 42 gallons. (05 Dec 1998) |
| barren | 1. A tract of barren land. 2. Elevated lands or plains on which grow small trees, but not timber; as, pine barrens; oak barrens. They are not necessarily sterile, and are often fertile. 1. Incapable of producing offspring; producing no young; sterile; aid of women and female animals. "She was barren of children." (Bp. Hall) 2. Not producing vegetation, or useful vegetation; rile. "Barren mountain tracts." 3. Unproductive; fruitless; unprofitable; empty. "Brilliant but barren reveries." (Prescott) "Some schemes will appear barren of hints and matter." (Swift) 4. Mentally dull; stupid. Barren flower, a flower which has only stamens without a pistil, or which as neither stamens nor pistils. <geography> Barren Grounds, a vast tract in British America northward of the forest regions. <zoology> Barren Ground bear, a small reindeer (Rangifer Groenlandicus) peculiar to the Barren Grounds and Greenland. Origin: OE. Barein, OF. Brehaing, em. Brehaigne, baraigne, F. Brehaigne; of uncertain origin; cf. Arm. Brekha, markha, sterile; LL. Brana a sterile mare, principally in Aquitanian and Spanish documents; Bisc. Barau, baru, fasting. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| barrenly | Unfruitfully; unproductively. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| barrenwort | <botany> An herbaceous plant of the Barberry family (Epimedium alpinum), having leaves that are bitter and said to be sudorific. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| barret | A kind of cap formerly worn by soldiers; called also barret cap. Also, the flat cap worn by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics. Origin: F. Barrette, LL. Barretum a cap. See Berretta, and cf. Biretta. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Barrett | Norman R., British physician, *1903. See: adenocarcinoma in Barrett's oesophagus, Barrett's oesophagus, Barrett's epithelium, Barrett's syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| barrett oesophagus | <radiology> Replacement of squamous epithelium with columnar metaplasia in lower oesophagus, incidence: 2-10% of patients with reflux oesophagitis, associated with adenocarcinoma in 8-10% findings: large deep ulceration with or without stricture at distal/mid oesophagus, fine reticular pattern, commonly reflux, columnar epithelium secretes Tc-99m pertechnetate (12 Dec 1998) |
| Barrett's epithelium | Columnar oesophageal epithelium seen in Barrett's syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| barrett's oesophagus | A disorder in which the lining of the oesophagus undergoes cellular changes in response to chronic irritation and inflammation of reflux oesophagitis. This condition is more common in men than women. The patient with Barrett's oesophagus is at an increased risk of developing cancer of the oesophagus. Symptoms are similar to those of reflux oesophagitis and include heartburn, difficulty swallowing and pain relief with antiacid use or eating. The diagnosis of Barrett's is made by a biopsy of the oesophageal mucosa through a endoscope. Treatment includes control of reflux disease, weight reduction and avoidance of alcohol, tobacco, fatty foods and lying flat after eating. Close follow-up is recommended to be certain the individual does not develop cancer of the oesophagus. (27 Sep 1997) |
| Guillain-Barre reflex | Plantar flexion of the foot and toes elicited by tapping the sole near its outer edge; has the same significance as the Rossolimo toe flexion reflex Also called Guillain-Barre, Weingrow's, or sole tap reflex. Synonym: Guillain-Barre reflex, sole tap reflex, Weingrow's reflex. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| Guillain-Barre syndrome | <neurology, syndrome> Acute infective polyneuritis that results in a form of peripheral neuropathy with temporary loss of movement and sensation due to inflammation of multiple nerves and loss of myelin. The exact cause is unknown but has been associated with an abnormal immune response to viral infection, particularly cytomegalovirus infection, in which there is cell-mediated immunity to a component of myelin. The disease may be autoimmune in origin and complete recovery can take up to six months. Synonym: Guillain-Barre syndrome (12 Jul 2000) |
| Landry-Guillain-Barre syndrome | <neurology, syndrome> Acute infective polyneuritis that results in a form of peripheral neuropathy with temporary loss of movement and sensation due to inflammation of multiple nerves and loss of myelin. The exact cause is unknown but has been associated with an abnormal immune response to viral infection, particularly cytomegalovirus infection, in which there is cell-mediated immunity to a component of myelin. The disease may be autoimmune in origin and complete recovery can take up to six months. Synonym: Guillain-Barre syndrome (12 Jul 2000) |