verb

bark

bahk

verb

To make the sharp, loud vocal sound typical of dogs.

"The dog barked wildly at the mail carrier."

To speak in a sharp, loud, commanding tone.

"The sergeant barked orders at the new recruits."

noun

The tough outer covering of a tree's trunk and branches.

"The bark of the old oak was rough and deeply grooved."

The sharp sound a dog makes.

"His bark was worse than his bite."

How to Use Bark

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the sound a dog makes, or the tough outer layer of a tree — two unrelated meanings that happen to share a spelling.

Common mistake

The saying "his bark is worse than his bite" means someone sounds more threatening than they actually are.

Common pairings

bark orders tree bark bark at someone

Word Forms

barked past tense, barked past tense, barks plural, barks plural, barks plural, barks plural, barks singular, barks singular

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The dog _____ wildly at the mail carrier.

Etymology

From Old English beorcan ("to bark"), an ancient Germanic word related to sounds of growling or droning; the tree-covering sense is a separate, unrelated word borrowed from Old Norse.

Rhymes for bark

ark lark dark mark Sark hark park shark quark spark stark Clark

See all rhymes for bark →