bark

bark — noun

1. the rough material on the outside of a tree trunk or branch

1.nounA2
Definition

the rough material on the outside of a tree trunk or branch

Example

The children touched the rough bark of the old pine tree.

collocation: rough bark

White bark peeled from the birch after the long dry summer.

Common collocations
  • rough bark
  • peel the bark
  • bark of a birch tree
Synonyms
  • rind

    more general and less usual for trees

  • covering

    general word, not specific to trees

Usage Note

Usually used as an uncountable noun for the material. When speaking about one tree, English often says the bark, not a bark.

Common Mistakes

The tree skin is rough.
The bark is rough.
'bark' is the normal word for a tree's outside layer.

2. the deep sharp sound a dog makes when it is excited, angry, or warning someone

2.nounA2
Definition

the deep sharp sound a dog makes when it is excited, angry, or warning someone

Example

A sharp bark came from the yard when the gate moved.

collocation: a sharp bark

We heard a bark outside the kitchen window after midnight.

Common collocations
  • a sharp bark
  • hear a bark
  • let out a bark
Synonyms
  • woof

    informal and often imitates the sound itself

  • yap

    usually a higher sound from a small dog

  • growl

    lower and more continuous than a bark

Usage Note

Often used for a single sound. For the repeated action, English more often uses barking or the verb bark.

3. a thin sheet of chocolate candy broken into pieces, often with nuts or dried fru

3.nounB2
Definition

a thin sheet of chocolate candy broken into pieces, often with nuts or dried fruit in it

Example

Tova packed homemade bark with almonds for the school fair.

collocation: homemade bark

We broke the peppermint bark into small pieces after dinner.

Common collocations
  • peppermint bark
  • homemade bark
  • break the bark into pieces
Synonyms
  • brittle

    similar broken candy, but usually harder and not always chocolate

  • candy

    much more general and less specific

Usage Note

Usually uncountable for the candy in general, but countable when people mean kinds or pieces sold as products.

4. a brief hard sound, especially from an angry voice or a gun

4.nounC1
Definition

a brief hard sound, especially from an angry voice or a gun

Example

The sergeant's bark sent the new soldiers back into line.

collocation: a bark of command

A bark from the speaker cut across the quiet meeting room.

Common collocations
  • a bark of command
  • the bark of a rifle
  • a bark from the back of the room
Synonyms
  • snap

    often used for a sharp tone of voice

  • blast

    usually louder and more explosive

Usage Note

Mostly used in writing or vivid speech. It suggests a short, sharp burst rather than a long shout.

Idioms

somebody’s bark is worse than their bite

idiom

This means that a person seems angry or threatening but is not actually dangerous.

Don't worry about Mr. Chen; his bark is worse than his bite.

Maya's bark is worse than her bite, so just ignore her loud complaints.

bark — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For the basic dog sound, bark is the most neutral word. It can describe one sound or a series of sounds, and it often suggests alertness, warning, or excitement. Woof is more informal and often copies the sound itself, so it appears more in stories and speech than in careful description. Yap usually suggests a small dog making quick, high sounds again and again. Growl is lower and longer, and it shows threat more than calling attention. Howl is long and carrying, often linked with pain, loneliness, or wolves. A dog may bark at the mail carrier, but a tiny dog may yap at passing feet, and an angry dog may growl before it bites.

woofyapgrowl ↗howl ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • bark at someone

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

English has two common words spelled bark. The tree sense came into Middle English from Old Norse barkr, meaning the outside covering of a tree. The dog-sound verb came from Old English beorcan, an older word that echoed the noise itself. The noun for the sound developed from that verb. The candy sense is much newer and was named because the broken chocolate pieces look like rough tree bark.