bark 1
— barkless , adj.
/bahrk/ , n.
1. the abrupt, harsh, explosive cry of a dog.
2. a similar sound made by another animal, as a fox.
3. a short, explosive sound, as of firearms: the bark of a revolver.
4. a brusque order, reply, etc.: The foreman's bark sent the idlers back to their machines.
5. a cough.
v.i.
6. (of a dog or other animal) to utter an abrupt, explosive cry or a series of such cries.
7. to make a similar sound: The big guns barked.
8. to speak or cry out sharply or gruffly: a man who barks at his children.
9. Informal. to advertise a theater performance, carnival sideshow, or the like, by standing at the entrance and calling out to passersby.
10. to cough.
v.t.
11. to utter in a harsh, shouting tone: barking orders at her subordinates.
12. bark at the moon , to protest in vain: Telling her that she's misinformed is just barking at the moon.
13. bark up the wrong tree , to assail or pursue the wrong person or object; misdirect one's efforts: If he expects me to get him a job, he's barking up the wrong tree.
[ bef. 900; ME berken, OE beorcan; akin to OE borcian to bark, ON berkja to bluster, Lith burgéti to growl, quarrel, Serbo-Croatian brgljati to murmur ]
Syn. 11. shout, bellow, yell, roar, bawl.
bark 2
— barkless , adj.
/bahrk/ , n.
1. the external covering of the woody stems, branches, and roots of plants, as distinct and separable from the wood itself.
2. Tanning. a mixture of oak and hemlock barks.
3. candy, usually of chocolate with large pieces of nuts, made in flat sheets.
v.t.
4. to rub off or scrape the skin of, as by bumping into something: to bark one's shins.
5. to remove a circle of bark from; girdle.
6. to cover, enclose, or encrust with or as if with bark.
7. to treat with a bark infusion; tan.
8. to strip the bark from; peel.
[ 1250-1300; ME borkr (gen. barkar ) ]
bark 3
/bahrk/ , n.
1. Naut. a sailing vessel having three or more masts, square-rigged on all but the aftermost mast, which is fore-and-aft-rigged.
2. Literary. a boat or sailing vessel.
Also, barque .
[ 1425-75; late ME barke barque barca, L * barica, baris bâris Egyptian barge bari barge ]