bark

¹bark

verb \ˈbärk\

Definition of BARK

intransitive verb

1

a : to make the characteristic short loud cry of a dog

b : to make a noise resembling a bark

2

: to speak in a curt loud and usually angry tone : snap

transitive verb

1

: to utter in a curt loud usually angry tone <an officer barking orders>

2

: to advertise by persistent outcry <barking their wares>

— bark up the wrong tree

: to promote or follow a mistaken course (as in doing research)

Origin of BARK

Middle English berken, from Old English beorcan; akin to Old Norse berkja to bark, Lithuanian burgėti to growl

First Known Use: before 12th century

Rhymes with BARK

arc, ark, dark, hark, lark, marc, MARC, mark, Mark, marque, narc, nark, park, Park, quark, sark, shark, spark, stark

²bark

noun

Definition of BARK

1

a : the sound made by a barking dog

b : a similar sound

2

: a short sharp peremptory tone of speech or utterance

— bark·less \ˈbärk-ləs\ adjective

First Known Use of BARK

before 12th century

³bark

noun

Definition of BARK

1

: the tough exterior covering of a woody root or stem; specifically : the tissues outside the cambium that include an inner layer especially of secondary phloem and an outer layer of periderm

2

: cinchona 2

3

: a candy containing chocolate and nuts that is made in a sheet and broken into pieces

— bark·less \ˈbärk-ləs\ adjective

Origin of BARK

Middle English, from Old Norse bark-, bǫrkr; akin to Middle Dutch & Middle Low German borke bark

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

⁴bark

transitive verb

Definition of BARK

1

: to treat with an infusion of tanbark

2

a : to strip the bark from

b : to rub off or abrade the skin of <barked a shin on the desk>

First Known Use of BARK

14th century

Other Wood Production Terms

cord, lumber, punk

⁵bark

noun

Definition of BARK

1

a : a small sailing ship

b : a sailing ship of three or more masts with the aftmost mast fore-and-aft rigged and the others square-rigged

2

: a craft propelled by sails or oars

Variants of BARK

bark or barque

Origin of BARK

Middle English, from Middle French barque, from Old Occitan barca, from Late Latin

First Known Use: 15th century

bark

noun \ˈbärk\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of BARK

1

: the tough exterior covering of a woody root or stem

2

: cinchona 3

bark

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In woody plants, tissues outside of the vascular cambium. The term is also used more popularly to refer to all tissues outside the wood. The inner soft bark is produced by the vascular cambium; it consists of secondary phloem (food-conducting) tissue whose innermost layer transports food from the leaves to the rest of the plant. The layered outer bark contains cork and old, dead phloem. The bark is usually thinner than the woody part of the stem or root.