Roan Barbary
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The favourite horse of Richard II. When Bolingbroke rode on Roan Barbary That horse that thou so often hast bestrid.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Roan Barbary” mean?
The favourite horse of Richard II. When Bolingbroke rode on Roan Barbary That horse that thou so often hast bestrid.
Is “Roan Barbary” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.