ark

noun \ ˈärk \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of ark

1 a : a boat or ship held to resemble that in which Noah and his family were preserved from the Flood

b : something that affords protection and safety

2 a : the sacred chest representing to the Hebrews the presence of God among them

b : a repository traditionally in or against the wall of a synagogue for the scrolls of the Torah

See ark defined for kids

Recent Examples of ark from the Web

My deluxe paella — the one packed with a Noah’s ark of surf and turf — tasted and smelled like mussels gone bad, and the $46 pricetag only intensified the sting.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: New Dominion restaurant Acú Bistro Bar aims high but misses a few," 7 June 2018
The books denounce evolution as untrue, for example, and one shows a cartoon of men and dinosaurs together, telling students the Biblical Noah likely brought baby dinosaurs onto his ark.

— leslie postal, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Private schools' curriculum downplays slavery, says humans and dinosaurs lived together," 1 June 2018
But with enough rain to float off Kentucky’s own ark, the ground is in no mood to be worked right now.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "It's not quite time to get dirty in the garden. So clean your tools instead. Here's how.," 9 Mar. 2018
Enter and you're immediately met with an ark's worth of Folkmanis animal puppets.

— griffin jackson, chicagotribune.com, "Have global tastes but want a hometown feel? Consider Lincoln Square living," 24 Aug. 2017
Now the animals have returned in a modern-day Noah’s ark — a bold attempt by private philanthropists and environmentalists to move wildlife from other parts of the continent.

— kevin sieff, Washington Post, "A 21st-century Noah’s ark transports animals back to places where they’ve been wiped out.," 18 May 2018
Though there’s seemingly been enough water this week to float an ark, Baffert doesn’t seem that concerned about the possibility of another wet and sloppy ride Saturday.

— don markus, baltimoresun.com, "With rain in forecast after wet week, few seem concerned with track conditions for Preakness," 17 May 2018
According to Luna, nearly $500,000 from a 2006 state bond measure was secured by Stewards and used to restore the farm’s ark-like barn.

— harriot manley, San Francisco Chronicle, "Volunteers, nonprofits reviving some California state parks," 9 May 2018
As the captain of an ark filled with Asgardian refugees, Thor began charting a course for Earth to resettle, upon his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) suggestion, in Norway.

— richard newby, The Hollywood Reporter, "The Boundless Potential of Thor," 6 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ark.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

A boat or ship held to resemble the one in which Noah and his family were preserved from the Flood is known as an ark. From this meaning comes the figurative meaning of ark as something that affords protection or safety. Ark is derived from the Latin word arca, meaning “chest,” which is akin to the Latin verb arcēre, meaning “to hold off or defend.” These Latin roots also gave us the use of ark to refer to the sacred chest representing to the Hebrews the presence of God among them and also to a repository that traditionally is in, or against, the wall of a synagogue for the scrolls of the Jewish Torah.

Origin and Etymology of ark

Middle English, from Old English arc, from Latin arca chest; akin to Latin arcēre to hold off, defend, Greek arkein, Hittite ḫark- to have, hold

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Ark

abbreviation

Definition of Ark

Arkansas

ARK Defined for Kids

ark

noun, often capitalized \ ˈärk \

Definition of ark for Students

1 : the ship in which an ancient Hebrew of the Bible named Noah and his family were saved from a great flood that God sent down on the world because of its wickedness

2 : a cabinet in a synagogue for the scrolls of the Torah