bark´less

bark ¹ «bahrk», noun, verb.

–noun.

1. the tough, outside covering of the trunk, branches, and roots of trees and shrubs.

2. = tanbark (def. 1). (Cf. ↑tanbark)

3. cinchona; Peruvian bark.

–transitive verb.

1. to strip the bark from (a tree or other plant).

2. Figurative. to scrape the skin from (shins or knuckles): »

I fell down the steps and barked my shins.

3. to cut out a ring of bark from around (a tree) in order to kill it; girdle.

4. to cover with or as if with bark.

5. to tan (hides or skins) with tanbark.

╂[< Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic börkr)]

–bark´less, adjective.

bark ² «bahrk», noun, verb.

–noun.

1. the short, sharp sound that a dog makes: »

The dog's bark frightened the baby.

SYNONYM(S): yelp, bay.

2. a sound like this, especially one that is short, sharp, and repeated; crack: »

the bark of a fox; Figurative. the bark of a gun.

3. Informal, Figurative. a cough.

╂[< verb]

–intransitive verb.

1. to make this sound or one like it: »

The dog barked. Figurative. Rifles barked from behind every tree.

2. Informal, Figurative. to cough.

3. U.S. Informal, Figurative. to call out at the entrance of a cheap show, store, or other attraction, to draw customers.

–transitive verb.

Figurative. to shout sharply; speak gruffly.

╂[Old English beorcan]

bark³ «bahrk», noun.

1. a ship with three masts, square-rigged on the first two masts and fore-and-aft-rigged on the other.

2. Archaic. a boat; ship. Also, barque.

╂[< Middle French barque < Old French < Old Provençal barca < Latin, probably ultimately < Greek bâris flat-bottomed Egyptian boat]