WordReference can't find this exact phrase, but click on each word to see its meaning:

to bark (at)


We could not find the full phrase you were looking for.
The entry for "bark" is displayed below.

Also see: to | (at)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
bark1 /bɑrk/USA pronunciation   n. 
    [countable]
  1. the sharp cry of a dog, fox, or similar animal.
  2. a short, explosive sound, as of coughing:the bark of machine guns.

v.  
  1. (of a dog or other animal) to make a bark:[no object]The dog barked all night.
  2. to make a sound similar to a bark:[no object]The big guns barked.
  3. to speak sharply or harshly: [~ + object]a habit of barking orders.[no object]barked at his subordinate.
Idioms
  1. bark up the wrong tree, to direct one's efforts in the wrong place.


bark2 /bɑrk/USA pronunciation   n. 
    [uncountable]
  1. Botanythe outside covering of the woody stems of plants, esp. of trees.

v. [~ + object]
  1. to scrape the skin of, as by rubbing: barked his shins.

bark3 or barque /bɑrk/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. Nautical, Naval Termsa sailing vessel with three or more masts and square sails.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
bark1  (bärk),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. the abrupt, harsh, explosive cry of a dog.
  2. a similar sound made by another animal, as a fox.
  3. a short, explosive sound, as of firearms:the bark of a revolver.
  4. a brusque order, reply, etc.:The foreman's bark sent the idlers back to their machines.
  5. a cough.

v.i. 
  1. (of a dog or other animal) to utter an abrupt, explosive cry or a series of such cries.
  2. to make a similar sound:The big guns barked.
  3. to speak or cry out sharply or gruffly:a man who barks at his children.
  4. [Informal.]to advertise a theater performance, carnival sideshow, or the like, by standing at the entrance and calling out to passersby.
  5. to cough.

v.t. 
  1. to utter in a harsh, shouting tone:barking orders at her subordinates.
  2. bark at the moon, to protest in vain:Telling her that she's misinformed is just barking at the moon.
  3. bark up the wrong tree, to assail or pursue the wrong person or object;
    misdirect one's efforts:If he expects me to get him a job, he's barking up the wrong tree.
  • bef. 900; Middle English berken, Old English beorcan; akin to Old English borcian to bark, Old Norse berkja to bluster, Lithuanian burgė́ti to growl, quarrel, Serbo-Croatian br̀gljati to murmur
bark′less, adj. 
    11. shout, bellow, yell, roar, bawl.
bark2  (bärk),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. the external covering of the woody stems, branches, and roots of plants, as distinct and separable from the wood itself.
  2. Clothing[Tanning.]a mixture of oak and hemlock barks.
  3. candy, usually of chocolate with large pieces of nuts, made in flat sheets.

v.t. 
  1. to rub off or scrape the skin of, as by bumping into something:to bark one's shins.
  2. to remove a circle of bark from;
    girdle.
  3. to cover, enclose, or encrust with or as if with bark.
  4. Clothingto treat with a bark infusion;
    tan.
  5. to strip the bark from;
    peel.
  • Old Norse bǫrkr (genitive barkar)
  • Middle English 1250–1300
bark′less, adj. 

bark3  (bärk),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Nautical, Naval Termsa sailing vessel having three or more masts, square-rigged on all but the aftermost mast, which is fore-and-aft-rigged.
  2. Naval Terms[Literary.]a boat or sailing vessel.
Also, barque. 
  • Coptic barī barge
  • Greek bâris Egyptian barge
  • Old French barque Late Latin barca, Latin *bārica, bāris
  • late Middle English barke 1425–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
bark /bɑːk/ n
  1. the loud abrupt usually harsh or gruff cry of a dog or any of certain other animals
  2. a similar sound, such as one made by a person, gun, etc
  3. his or her bark is worse than his or her bite ⇒ he or she is bad-tempered but harmless
 vb
  1. (intransitive) (of a dog or any of certain other animals) to make its typical loud abrupt cry
  2. (intransitive) (of a person, gun, etc) to make a similar loud harsh sound
  3. to say or shout in a brusque, peremptory, or angry tone: he barked an order
  4. bark up the wrong tree ⇒ informal to misdirect one's attention, efforts, etc; be mistaken
Etymology: Old English beorcan; related to Lithuanian burgěti to quarrel, growl
bark /bɑːk/ n
  1. a protective layer of dead corky cells on the outside of the stems of woody plants
  2. any of several varieties of this substance that can be used in tanning, dyeing, or in medicine
  3. an informal name for cinchona
 vb (transitive)
  1. to scrape or rub off skin, as in an injury
  2. to remove the bark or a circle of bark from (a tree or log)
  3. to cover or enclose with bark
  4. to tan (leather), principally by the tannins in barks
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old Norse börkr; related to Swedish, Danish bark, German Borke; compare Old Norse björkr birch
bark /bɑːk/ n
  1. a variant spelling (esp US) of barque

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "to bark (at)" in the title:


Look up "to bark (at)" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "to bark (at)" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!

Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.