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REFERENCE

bark

US //ˈbɑɹk// UK //bˈɑːk// bark
  1. 1 dog sound (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the short, loud sound that a dog or fox makes.

    the characteristic short, explosive vocalisation of a dog or related canine.

    Example

    The neighbor's dog gave a loud bark when the mail carrier arrived.

    Example

    A sudden, sharp bark from the guard dog echoed through the empty warehouse, alerting the security team to an intruder.
  2. 2 tree covering (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Science

    the hard outer layer that covers the trunk and branches of a tree.

    the tough protective outer sheath of the trunks, branches, and roots of woody plants.

    Example

    The bark of the birch tree is white and feels like paper.

    Example

    The rough, deeply furrowed bark of the ancient oak served as a habitat for various species of moss and insects.
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  1. 3 hard candy (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate American English Cooking

    a type of hard chocolate or candy made in thin, flat sheets.

    a confection consisting of thin sheets of chocolate or other hardened sugar bases, often containing nuts or peppermint.

    Example

    We made peppermint bark by melting white chocolate and crushing candy canes.

    Example

    For the holiday gift baskets, she prepared a dark chocolate almond bark finished with a sprinkle of sea salt.
  2. 4 sailing ship (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary Archaic

    a type of ship with three or more masts.

    a sailing vessel with three or more masts, specifically one with the aftmast fore-and-aft rigged and others square-rigged.

    Example

    The wooden bark sailed across the ocean many years ago.

    Example

    The poet described the fragile bark tossed upon the stormy seas as a metaphor for the human soul.
  3. 5 to make a dog sound (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to make the loud, short sound of a dog.

    to utter a short, explosive cry; used of dogs or in imitation of them.

    Example

    The dogs barked at the cat until it climbed up the tree.

    Example

    The hounds began to bark frantically as they picked up the scent of the fox near the edge of the woods.
  4. 6 to speak sharply (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to shout or say something in a loud, angry, or quick way.

    to utter a command or remark in a loud, aggressive, or curt tone.

    Example

    The sergeant barked orders at the new soldiers on the first day.

    Example

    The manager barked a series of instructions at the staff before rushing out to meet the client.
  5. 7 to scrape skin (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Medicine

    to accidentally rub the skin off your knee or elbow.

    to abrade or scrape the skin from a part of the body through impact or friction.

    Example

    He barked his shin against the coffee table in the dark.

    Example

    The athlete barked his knuckles against the rough concrete wall during the final sprint of the obstacle course.
Etymology 1

From Middle English barken, berken, borken, from Old English beorcan (“to bark”), from the Proto-West Germanic berkan (“to bark”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰerg- (“to make a noise, growl, bark”), from *bʰer- (“to drone, hum, buzz”). Cognate with Icelandic berkja (“to bark, bluster”), Icelandic barki (“throat, windpipe”), dialectal Lithuanian burgė́ti (“to growl, grumble, grouch, quarrel”), Serbo-Croatian brbljati (“to murmur”). For the noun, compare Old English beorc, bearce (“barking”)..

Etymology 2

From Middle English bark, from Old English barc (“bark”), from Old Norse bǫrkr (“tree bark”), from Proto-Germanic barkuz, probably related to birkijǭ (“birch”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰerHǵós (compare Latin frāxinus (“ash”), Lithuanian béržas (“birch”)), from Proto-Indo-European bʰerHǵ- (“to gleam; white”) (compare English bright); akin to Danish bark, Icelandic börkur, Low German borke and Albanian berk (“bast”).

Etymology 3

From Middle English barke (“boat”), from Middle French barque, from Late Latin barca, a regular syncope of Vulgar Latin barica, from Classical Latin bāris, from Ancient Greek βᾶρις (bâris, “Egyptian boat”), from Coptic ⲃⲁⲁⲣⲉ (baare, “small boat”), from Demotic Egyptian br, from Egyptian bꜣjrb-bA-A-y:rZ1-P1 (“transport ship”). Doublet of barge, barque and baris.

Idioms5 entries

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