barbed wire
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barbed wire
A metal wire fitted at regular intervals with sharp spikes or barbs and used mainly for fences and barriers.
Das verlassene Militärgelände ist mit einem hohen Zaun aus Stacheldraht gesichert.
The abandoned military site is secured with a high barbed-wire fence.
The word is a clear compound of 'der Stachel' (a sharp spike) and 'der Draht' (a thin metal wire). So it literally describes a wire with spikes.
Der alte Zaun bestand nur aus Holzpfosten und Stacheldraht.
The old fence consisted only of wooden posts and barbed wire.
'Stacheldraht' (barbed wire) is often used with verbs that describe blocking off or securing something. Typical phrases are 'mit Stacheldraht sichern' (to secure with barbed wire), 'mit Stacheldraht umzäunen' (to fence in with barbed wire), or 'von Stacheldraht umgeben sein' (to be surrounded by barbed wire).
Das Grundstück wurde mit Stacheldraht gesichert, um Unbefugte fernzuhalten.
The property was secured with barbed wire to keep unauthorized people away.
When describing the material something is made of, the preposition 'aus' is often used. A typical construction is therefore 'ein Zaun aus Stacheldraht' (a fence made of barbed wire).
Die Mauer war zusätzlich mit einer Rolle aus Stacheldraht gekrönt.
The wall was additionally topped with a roll of barbed wire.
wire
'der Draht' and 'der Stacheldraht' both have to do with metal. 'Draht' is a general word for a thin, flexible strand of metal. It can be used for crafts, electrical cables, or fences. 'Stacheldraht' is a special kind of wire with sharp spikes or barbs. It is used mainly for fences and barriers. The words can be confused because barbed wire is also wire. But not every wire is barbed wire.
Hinter dem alten Fabrikgebäude steht ein Zaun aus Stacheldraht.
Behind the old factory building, there is a fence made of barbed wire.
Zum Reparieren der Lampe braucht Mehmet ein kurzes Stück Draht.
Mehmet needs a short piece of wire to repair the lamp.