DictionaryAI

bark

BARK/bɑɹk/BAHK/bɑːk/

Pluralbarks

Verbbarks, barking, barked

17 meanings of bark

Practice

  1. 1
    tree coveringnouncountable or uncountable
    The hard outer covering of a tree's trunk and branches.

    Like a tough skin that protects a tree from the outside.

    The bark on that old oak is rough and cracked.

    She peeled a strip of bark from the fallen log.

    UsageSay a piece of bark.

  2. 2
    make dog noisesverbintransitive
    To make a short, loud sound, like a dog does.

    Like a quick, loud shout an animal makes to warn others.

    The dog began to bark at the mailman.

    Our neighbor's puppy barks all night long.

    UsageA dog barks at people.

    Similaryap, yelp, woof, bay

  3. 3
    animal's crynouncountable
    The short, loud sound that a dog or fox makes.

    Like the quick, sharp 'woof' a dog makes when someone is near.

    We heard a loud bark from the backyard.

    The dog's bark woke the whole house.

    UsageHer bark is worse than her bite: she is not as fierce as she sounds.

    Similarwoof, yap, yelp

  4. 4
    verbtransitive
    To say or shout something in a short, sharp, loud way.

    Like throwing words out hard and fast, the way a dog barks.

    Drill sergeants bark commands at new recruits all day.

    He barked an order before anyone could object.

    UsageSay bark orders at someone.

    Similarsnap, shout, bellow, yell

    Note
  5. 5
    flat candynouncountable or uncountable
    A hard, flat candy made from things like chocolate or peppermint.

    Like a flat, hard sheet of candy you can snap into pieces.

    She broke off a piece of peppermint bark for dessert.

    She let the melted candy cool until it hardened into a sheet of bark.

    UsageOften peppermint bark.

  6. 6
    nounfigurativelycountable
    A sudden, short, loud sound made by a person, such as a shout or a laugh.

    Like a shout that comes out as sharp as a dog's bark.

    His bark of laughter startled everyone in the room.

    She gave a short bark of surprise when the lights went out.

    UsageOften a bark of laughter.

    Similarshout, yell, bellow, snap

  7. 7
    large sailing shipnouncountable
    A large sailing ship with at least three masts, where the back mast carries differently set sails.

    Like the tall wooden sailing ships you see in old pirate movies.

    The museum's old bark has three tall masts and white sails.

    Whalers in the 1800s often sailed on three-masted barks.

    UsageAlso spelled barque.

    Similarbarque

    Note
  8. 8
    quinine sourcenouncountable or uncountable
    The dried bark of a South American tree, used to make a medicine for fever.

    Explorers learned that Peruvian bark could help cure fever.

    Long ago, doctors gave Peruvian bark to people sick with malaria.

    Similarcinchona

    Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of bark apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 2–4, 6, 9

From Old English beorcan, meaning "to bark." It goes back to an ancient root meaning to make a noise or growl.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Meanings 1, 5, 8, 10–11, 13

From Old Norse bǫrkr, meaning "tree bark." It may be related to the word for "birch."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Meanings 7, 12

From Middle French barque, meaning "boat," which came from Latin and possibly goes back to an Ancient Greek word for an Egyptian boat, and ultimately to Egyptian.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts