barren - Dictionary definition and pronunciation - Yahoo! Education
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bar·ren  audio  (brn) KEY 

ADJECTIVE:
    1. Not producing offspring.
    2. Incapable of producing offspring.
  2. Lacking vegetation, especially useful vegetation.
  3. Unproductive of results or gains; unprofitable: barren efforts. See Synonyms at futile.
  4. Devoid of something specified: writing barren of insight. See Synonyms at empty.
  5. Lacking in liveliness or interest.
NOUN:
A tract of unproductive land, often with a scrubby growth of trees. Often used in the plural.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English barreine, from Old French brahaigne, perhaps of Germanic origin

OTHER FORMS:
barren·ly(Adverb), barren·ness(Noun)


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