# barking

Pronunciation: US say "BAR-king" /ˈbɑɹkɪŋ/; UK say "BAH-king" /ˈbɑːkɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of bark. — present participle and gerund of bark
   - Simple: The -ing form of bark. Use it after am, is, are, was or were, or to name the action.
   - _The dogs were barking at every car that passed the gate._
   - _Barking is how a dog warns the household of a stranger._

## Noun

2. The characteristic sharp, loud cry produced by a dog, or the act of producing it.
   - Simple: The sharp, loud sound a dog makes with its voice.
   - _The dog's barking grew louder as the visitor approached the gate._
   - _Constant barking from the neighbor's pets prompted several complaints to the landlord._

## Adjective

3. Clipping of barking mad. British slang. *(slang, British, New Zealand)* — Clipping of barking mad.
   - Simple: Short for barking mad. British slang for someone who is completely crazy.
   - _Anyone who sinks their savings into that scheme is absolutely barking._
   - _She called the whole plan barking and refused to take any part in it._

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3** — From Middle English berkyng, berkande, equivalent to "bark" plus the suffix "-ing".
**Meaning 2** — From Middle English berkyng, berking, berkynge, equivalent to "bark" plus the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/barking (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).