bark

Definition

To make a short, loud, explosive noise with the vocal organs (said of animals, especially dogs).

Etymology

From Middle English barken, berken, borken, from Old English beorcan (“to bark”), from the Proto-West Germanic *berkan (“to bark”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerg- (“to make a noise, growl, bark”), from *bʰer- (“to drone, hum, buzz”). Cognate with Icelandic berkja (“to bark, bluster”), Icelandic barki (“throat, windpipe”), dialectal Lithuanian burgė́ti (“to growl, grumble, grouch, quarrel”), Serbo-Croatian brbljati (“to murmur”). For the noun, compare Old English beorc, bearce (“barking”)..

Example Sentences

• "The neighbour's dog is always barking."
• "The seal barked as the zookeeper threw fish into its enclosure."
• "And therefore they bark, and say the scripture maketh heretics."