Barnstaple

B3A1R1N1S1T1A1P3L1E1
UK/ˈbɑː(ɹ)nstəpəɫ/UK/ˈbɑːɹnstəbəl/

proper noun

A town and civil parish with a town council in North Devon district, Devon, England (OS grid ref SS5633).

Less commonScrabble 14
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. A town and civil parish with a town council in North Devon district, Devon, England (OS grid ref SS5633).

Origin

Formerly Barnstable; the name is first recorded in the 10th century and is believed to derive from the Old English bearde (“battle-axe”) and stapol (“pillar”). Not related to staple in the sense of a market, which arose later.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Barnstaple. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barnstaple

MLA

“Barnstaple.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barnstaple. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Barnstaple,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barnstaple.

Source: Barnstaple on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.