Definition, synonyms and related words
Any set of machine-readable parallel bars or concentric circles, varying in width, spacing, or height, encoding information according to a symbology
"The warehouse scanner read the barcode on the shipping container by decoding the pattern of parallel black and white bars."
In plain English: A barcode is a pattern of black and white lines that stores information so machines can quickly read it at checkout counters.
"The cashier scanned my barcode to ring up the item quickly."
Usage: Use this term specifically for the printed pattern on products that scanners read at checkout. Do not use it as a verb; instead say "scan the barcode."
The word barcode is a compound of the words bar and code. It was first used in 1963 to describe this specific type of marking system.