Phrase guide

sleeping barber problem

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A problem of interprocess communication and synchronization where one process responds to requests from multiple other threads and sleeps when not doing so. In some cases this may lead to an undesirable state where components are waiting for each other despite being ready.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, computing-theory, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

By analogy with a barber who sleeps while not cutting hair, and whose customers wake him on arrival. Since actions such as entering the salon and looking around take variable amounts of time, this may lead to a situation where both barber and customer(s) are futilely waiting for each other.