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bark1

Syllabification: (bark)
Pronunciation: /bärk/

Translate bark | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of bark

noun

  • the sharp explosive cry of certain animals, especially a dog, fox, or seal.
  • a sound resembling a sharp explosive cry, typically one made by someone laughing or coughing:a short bark of laughter

verb

  • 1 [no object] (of a dog or other animal) emit a bark:a dog barked at her
  • (of a person) make a sound, such as a cough or a laugh, resembling a bark:she barked with laughter
  • 2 [with object] utter (a command or question) abruptly or aggressively:he began barking out his orders [with direct speech]:“Nobody is allowed up here,” he barked [no object]:he was barking at me to make myself presentable
  • [no object] call out in order to sell or advertise something:doormen bark at passersby, promising hot music and cold beer

Phrases

someone's bark is worse than their bite

someone is not as ferocious as they appear or sound.

be barking up the wrong tree

informal be pursuing a mistaken or misguided line of thought or course of action.

Origin:

Old English beorc (noun), beorcan (verb), of Germanic origin; possibly related to break1

bark in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of bark in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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