barked; barking; barks
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
3
informal
: to produce a usually sharp, sudden pain
… at 36 and with his mustache turning gray and his body barking back in pain, Luis DeLeon is in spring training with the Cubs.—
Joseph A. Reaves
Joseph A. ReavesThe shoulder is pain-free for now, but his elbow barks at him occasionally …—Mike Lupica
Mike Lupica1
: to utter in a curt loud usually angry tone
an officer barking orders
2
: to advertise by persistent outcry
barking their wares
1
a
: the sound made by a barking dog
b
: a similar sound
2
: a short sharp peremptory tone of speech or utterance
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
3
: a candy containing chocolate and nuts that is made in a sheet and broken into pieces
barked; barking; barks
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
variants
or barque
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
Phrases
bark up the wrong tree
: to promote or follow a mistaken course (as in doing research)
—used to say that someone known for harsh or angry speech does not actually treat others in an unfairly harsh or harmful way
Chairman Paul Millership was larger than life and shouted his orders loud and clear. But his bark was worse than his bite and he was scrupulously fair to employees who put in the effort.—The Nottingham Evening Post
The Nottingham Evening PostSynonyms
Examples of bark in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebOwen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
My dog started barking and running down the hallway, like, mom, the earth is shaking, get your ass up and run with me.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
That year, Jo said, boys would bark at them, make lewd gestures, and use homophobic and transphobic slurs, and adults rarely intervened.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
Winn was one of the young pitchers the Giants had earmarked spots for in their rotation, along with Kyle Harrison and Tristan Beck, but shortly into camp he was shut down out of precaution when his elbow started barking after a bullpen session.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
Martin’s key innovation came in subverting the indicators other comics used to tell people when to bark their approval.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024
And right then, South recalled the dog that didn’t bark.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
For example, there's a night scene when Arthur barks Lassie-like to stop Michael from walking over a sheer cliff just feet away.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
The barking dogs scrambling around our feet don’t really help.
—Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024
Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
My hope is like a Greek myth: exchanging skin for bark,
bark for scales,
scales for the hollow bones of a bird.
—Jane Hirshfield, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
These forests are also ecological substrates for other forms of life —- on Earth, plants, animals of all sorts, fungi and bacteria all live on their bark, shoots, trunks, leaves, roots, flowers, and fruits, says Mendonca.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The agency says to watch out for the masses during late fall, winter, and early spring, and they can be found on outdoor surfaces like tree bark, cars, and items kept outside.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
Texture To add a little dramatic flair to their cakes, couples are choosing to incorporate visually striking textures that range from simple stencil patterns to more abstract elements resembling waves, tree bark, flower petals and more.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Freshly ground hardwood bark frequently forms a water-shedding mat in the dry summer.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 8 Mar. 2024
The American Spice Trade Association, an industry trade group, calls for no more than 2 parts per million of lead in bark spices such as cinnamon.
—Jonel Aleccia, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024
The resort's signature cocktail, the Tramuntana, combines herbs from its organic garden with the obscure (to outsiders) local liqueur called Palo de Mallorca—a bitter remedy beloved by Mallorcan connoisseurs that contains cinchona bark and gentian root.
—Tony Perrottet, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
Verb
There was no mastermind at its center; Q barked out his pronouncements, but was no more real than the Wizard of Oz.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
My dog started barking and running down the hallway, like, mom, the earth is shaking, get your ass up and run with me.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
That year, Jo said, boys would bark at them, make lewd gestures, and use homophobic and transphobic slurs, and adults rarely intervened.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
Winn was one of the young pitchers the Giants had earmarked spots for in their rotation, along with Kyle Harrison and Tristan Beck, but shortly into camp he was shut down out of precaution when his elbow started barking after a bullpen session.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
Martin’s key innovation came in subverting the indicators other comics used to tell people when to bark their approval.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024
And right then, South recalled the dog that didn’t bark.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
For example, there's a night scene when Arthur barks Lassie-like to stop Michael from walking over a sheer cliff just feet away.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
The barking dogs scrambling around our feet don’t really help.
—Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024
Noun
With exfoliating cinnamon-brown bark and fragrant white flower clusters, what’s not to love?
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
My hope is like a Greek myth: exchanging skin for bark,
bark for scales,
scales for the hollow bones of a bird.
—Jane Hirshfield, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
These forests are also ecological substrates for other forms of life —- on Earth, plants, animals of all sorts, fungi and bacteria all live on their bark, shoots, trunks, leaves, roots, flowers, and fruits, says Mendonca.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The agency says to watch out for the masses during late fall, winter, and early spring, and they can be found on outdoor surfaces like tree bark, cars, and items kept outside.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
Texture To add a little dramatic flair to their cakes, couples are choosing to incorporate visually striking textures that range from simple stencil patterns to more abstract elements resembling waves, tree bark, flower petals and more.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Freshly ground hardwood bark frequently forms a water-shedding mat in the dry summer.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 8 Mar. 2024
The American Spice Trade Association, an industry trade group, calls for no more than 2 parts per million of lead in bark spices such as cinnamon.
—Jonel Aleccia, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024
The resort's signature cocktail, the Tramuntana, combines herbs from its organic garden with the obscure (to outsiders) local liqueur called Palo de Mallorca—a bitter remedy beloved by Mallorcan connoisseurs that contains cinchona bark and gentian root.
—Tony Perrottet, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bark. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bark
1 of 5 verb1
: to make the short loud cry of a dog or a similar noise
2
: to shout or speak sharply
bark out an order
bark
2 of 5 noun
: the sound made by a barking dog
bark
3 of 5 noun
: the tough covering of a woody root or stem
bark
4 of 5 verb1
: to strip the bark from
2
: to rub or scrape the skin of
barked her knee
bark
5 of 5 noun
variants
or barque
1
: a small sailing ship
2
: a three-masted ship with the first two masts square-rigged and the last fore-and-aft rigged
Etymology
Verb
Old English beorcan "to bark"
Noun
Middle English bark "tree covering," of Scandinavian origin
Noun
Middle English bark "a small ship," from early French barque (same meaning)
Medical Definition
bark
noun1
: the tough exterior covering of a woody root or stem
2
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