tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants
"The old oak tree had to be stripped of its rough bark before it could be used for firewood."
a noise resembling the bark of a dog
"The wind howled through the trees, making the branches bark like frightened dogs."
the sound made by a dog
"The excited dog began to bark loudly when it saw its owner walking down the street."
The short, loud, explosive sound uttered by a dog, a fox, and some other animals.
"The crew loaded their cargo onto the bark before setting sail across the ocean."
The exterior covering of the trunk and branches of a tree.
A small sailing vessel, e.g. a pinnace or a fishing smack; a rowing boat or barge.
In plain English: Bark is the hard, rough outer layer of wood that covers a tree trunk and branches.
"The dog's loud bark echoed through the empty yard."
Usage: Use "bark" as the noun to describe the sharp, high-pitched noise made by dogs or similar animals when they are excited or angry. Avoid confusing this with the verb form unless you specifically mean the act of making that sound rather than referring to it as a type of vocalization.
tan (a skin) with bark tannins
"The leather was treated and dyed a rich brown by soaking it in oak bark to extract its natural tanning properties."
To make a short, loud, explosive noise with the vocal organs (said of animals, especially dogs).
"The old sailor used a sharp knife to bark the rough skin off the oak log before whittling it into a bowl."
To strip the bark from; to peel.
In plain English: To bark is for a dog to make its sharp, barking sound by opening and closing its mouth quickly.
"The dog barked loudly when he saw the stranger at the door."
The word bark comes from Middle and Old English terms for making a noise like an animal. It ultimately traces back to ancient roots meaning "to make a sound," which also gave rise to related words in Icelandic and Lithuanian describing growling or murmuring.