Obs. exc. dial. [Common Teut.: OE. bærs, bears (:—bars) = MDu. bars, Du. baars, MHG. bars, Ger. barsch, f. root *bars-, bors-, whence OHG. burst, OE. byrst, Sc. birse ‘bristle.’] Name of a species of fish: the original form of the word subsequently corrupted to BASE, and BASS(E; still retained in some dialects.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss, in Wülcker, /180. Lupus, uel scardo, bærs.
c. 1050. Ags. Voc., ibid., /293. Lypus, bærs.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Barse, in ichthyology, an English name for the common pearch.
1860. H. Riley, Liber Custum. Gloss., Barcius, a perch, which in Cumberland and Westmoreland is still known as barse.
