# embark

Pronunciation: US say "im-BARK" /ɪmˈbɑɹk/; UK say "im-BAHK" /ɪmˈbɑːk/

## Verb

1. To begin or set out upon something, especially a journey, undertaking, or new venture.
   - Simple: To start something big or new, like a long trip or project.
   - _The students embark on their research projects in September._
   - _She embarked on a demanding career in medicine after graduation._
2. To go aboard a ship, boat, or aircraft for a journey.
   - Simple: To get on a ship, boat, or plane to travel somewhere.
   - _Soldiers embark at dawn for the crossing._
   - _Travelers embarked onto the ferry as the horn sounded._
3. To cause people, troops, or cargo to go on board a vessel or boat.
   - Simple: To put people or goods onto a ship or boat.
   - _The officers embark their troops under cover of darkness._
   - _The port authority embarked thousands of evacuees within hours._
4. To engage or commit people, money, or other resources in an undertaking.
   - Simple: To put money, people, or effort into a plan or project.
   - _The founders embark substantial capital in every promising idea._
   - _The campaign embarked hundreds of supporters in its grassroots effort._
5. To cover or enclose something with bark, especially the outer layer of a tree.
   - Simple: To cover or wrap something with tree bark.
   - _Craftsmen embark the canoe frame in layers of birch bark._
   - _The villagers embarked their storehouse with overlapping bark sheets._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–4** — Borrowed from Middle French "embarquer," formed from "em-" plus "barque" (a small ship). It is related to Portuguese "embarcar" and Spanish "abarcar."
**Meaning 5** — Formed from the prefix "em-" plus "bark."

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