I. ˈbärk verb
Etymology: Middle English berken, from Old English beorcan; akin to Old Norse berkja to bark, Lithuanian burgėti to growl
Date: before 12th century
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 bark ing orders
2. : to advertise by persistent outcry
bark ing their wares
•
- bark up the wrong tree
II. noun
Date: before 12th century
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
III. noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse bark-, bǫrkr; akin to Middle Dutch & Middle Low German borke bark
Date: 14th century
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
IV. transitive verb
Date: 14th century
1. : to treat with an infusion of tanbark
2.
a. : to strip the bark from
b. : to rub off or abrade the skin of
bark ed a shin on the desk
V. noun
or barque
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French barque, from Old Occitan barca, from Late Latin
Date: 15th century
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