bark
bark1 /bɑːk $ bɑːrk/ 
verb
bark at
The dog always barks at strangers.
2. (also bark out) [transitive] to say something quickly in a loud voice
bark at
‘Don’t just stand there, give me a hand,’ she barked at the shop assistant.
3. bark up the wrong tree informal to have a wrong idea, or do something in a way that will not give you the information or result you want:
The police spent three months barking up the wrong tree on the murder investigation.
4. [transitive] to rub the skin off your knee, elbow etc by falling or knocking against something
SYN graze:
I barked my shin against the step.
bark2 noun
Language: Old Norse
Origin: börkr1. [countable] the sharp loud sound made by a dog
2. [uncountable] the outer covering of a tree
3. [countable] a loud sound or voice:
Amy’s voice was a hoarse bark.
4. sb’s bark is worse than their bite used to say that someone who seems unpleasant or difficult to deal with is not really too bad
| I |
verb Language: Old English
Origin: beorcan
1. [intransitive] when a dog barks, it makes a short loud sound or series of sounds ⇨ growlOrigin: beorcan
bark at
2. (also bark out) [transitive] to say something quickly in a loud voice
bark at
3. bark up the wrong tree informal to have a wrong idea, or do something in a way that will not give you the information or result you want:
4. [transitive] to rub the skin off your knee, elbow etc by falling or knocking against something
SYN graze:
| II |
noun Sense 2
Date: 1200-1300Language: Old Norse
Origin: börkr
2. [uncountable] the outer covering of a tree
3. [countable] a loud sound or voice:
4. sb’s bark is worse than their bite used to say that someone who seems unpleasant or difficult to deal with is not really too bad