German

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Schlagbaum

Etymology

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16th century, from schlagen +‎ Baum. The former word refers to the “slamming down”. The latter is used in the dated sense of “stem, beam, pole”; compare cognate English beam.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈʃlaːkˌbaʊ̯m/ (standard)
    • Audio:(file)
  • IPA(key): /ˈʃlaxˌbaʊ̯m/ (northern and central Germany, now chiefly colloquial)

Noun

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Schlagbaum m (strong, genitive Schlagbaumes or Schlagbaums, plural Schlagbäume)

  1. barrier, tollbar (structure consisting of a long beam on a joint, used to control passage)
    Synonyms: Absperrbalken, Barriere, Schranke

Usage notes

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  • Not used for automatic barriers, which are always called Schranke.

Declension

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Descendants

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Further reading

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