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
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
Verb (1)
the new supervisor found that speaking to people with a civil tongue got better results than barking at them
Verb (2)
barking a tree will probably kill it
Noun (3)
took a small bark out on the lake
Recent Examples on the Web
Jordana Comiter, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
No litter box, barking, or cleanup is required (yet).
—Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024
April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024
Many late-night snack options are healthy and delicious, such as Greek yogurt bark, trail mix, cottage cheese ice cream, and low-carbohydrate turkey and cheese roll-ups.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bark 
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Verb
Testers wore the headphones in loud environments, from bustling NYC streets to their homes with barking dogs.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
No litter box, barking, or cleanup is required (yet).
—Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
Many of the biggest trees had thick, wrinkled bark, indicating old age.
—April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024
Many late-night snack options are healthy and delicious, such as Greek yogurt bark, trail mix, cottage cheese ice cream, and low-carbohydrate turkey and cheese roll-ups.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bark
Articles Related to bark
Dictionary Entries Near bark
Cite this Entry
“Bark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bark. Accessed 23 Nov. 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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