(n) an uninhabited wilderness that is worthless for cultivation, Syn. waste, wasteland, Example:the barrens of central Africa; the trackless wastes of the desert

barren

(adj) not bearing offspring, Example:a barren woman; learned early in his marriage that he was sterile

barren

(adj) completely wanting or lacking, Syn. free, destitute, innocent, devoid, Example:writing barren of insight; young recruits destitute of experience; innocent of literary merit; the sentence was devoid of meaning

barren ground caribou

(n) of tundra of northern Canada; in some classifications included in the species Rangifer tarandus, Syn. Rangifer arcticus

barrenness

(n) the state (usually of a woman) of having no children or being unable to have children

barrenwort

(n) slow-growing creeping plant with semi-evergreen leaves on erect wiry stems; used as ground cover, Syn. Epimedium grandiflorum, bishop's hat

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53 Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)

Barren

a. [ OE. barein, OF. brehaing, fem. brehaigne, baraigne, F. bréhaigne; of uncertain origin; cf. Arm. brékhañ, markhañ, 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 Grœnlandicus) peculiar to the Barren Grounds and Greenland. [ 1913 Webster ]

Barren

n. 1. A tract of barren land. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. 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. [ Amer. ] J. Pickering. [ 1913 Webster ]

Barrenly

adv. Unfruitfully; unproductively. [ 1913 Webster ]

Barrenness

n. The condition of being barren; sterility; unproductiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

A total barrenness of invention. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Barrenwort

n. (Bot.) An herbaceous plant of the Barberry family (Epimedium alpinum), having leaves that are bitter and said to be sudorific. [ 1913 Webster ]

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