bark Hear it!

bark1 definition

bark (bärk)

noun

  1. the outside covering of the stems and roots of trees and woody plants
  2. some kinds of this matter used in tanning, dyeing, etc.
  3. cinchona

Etymology: ME < ON bǫrkr, akin to MLowG borke

transitive verb

  1. to treat with a bark infusion, as in leather tanning
  2. to take the bark off; specif., to girdle (a tree)
  3. Informal to scrape some skin off to bark one's shin
bark2 definition

bark (bärk)

intransitive verb

  1. to make the characteristic sharp, abrupt cry of a dog
  2. to make a sound like this the engine barked
  3. to speak or shout sharply; snap
  4. Informal to cough
  5. Slang to advertise a show, sale, etc. by shouting about it in public

Etymology: ME berken < OE beorcan, akin to ON berkja, of echoic orig.

transitive verb

to say or advertise with a bark or shout

noun

  1. the sharp, abrupt sound made by a dog
  2. any sharp, abrupt sound or utterance like this
bark Idioms

bark up the wrong tree

to misdirect one's attack, energies, etc.
bark3 definition

bark (bärk)

noun

  1. Old Poet. any boat, esp. a small sailing boat
  2. a sailing vessel with its two forward masts square-rigged and its rear mast rigged fore and aft

Etymology: ME barke, prob. via Port or ML barca (> OFr barque) < LL, small boat: see barge

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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