barreter

Apparently a variant of barretter (“ballast resistor”), which in turn may be from Old French barateor (“barrator”).

barreter (plural barreters)

1. A variable resistor made up of a short length of very fine wire (usually platinum) having a positive temperature coefficient.
   • 1904, Engineering Magazine, volume 27, page 380:

     Fessenden determined that a current-operated detector would offer advantages over those operated by voltage and based these deductions on his hot-wire barreter.

Variant of barrator.

barreter (plural barreters)

1. A contentious person, quarreler, or fighter.

• “barretter, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
• “barrator, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

• barterer, rebarter