| 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. |
| 6. | (of a dog or other animal) to utter an abrupt, explosive cry or a series of such cries. |
| 7. | to make a similar sound: The big guns barked. |
| 8. | to speak or cry out sharply or gruffly: a man who barks at his children. |
| 9. | Informal. to advertise a theater performance, carnival sideshow, or the like, by standing at the entrance and calling out to passersby. |
| 10. | to cough. |
| 11. | to utter in a harsh, shouting tone: barking orders at her subordinates. |
| 12. | bark at the moon, to protest in vain: Telling her that she's misinformed is just barking at the moon. |
| 13. | 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. |

| 1. | the external covering of the woody stems, branches, and roots of plants, as distinct and separable from the wood itself. |
| 2. | Tanning. a mixture of oak and hemlock barks. |
| 3. | candy, usually of chocolate with large pieces of nuts, made in flat sheets. |
| 4. | to rub off or scrape the skin of, as by bumping into something: to bark one's shins. |
| 5. | to remove a circle of bark from; girdle. |
| 6. | to cover, enclose, or encrust with or as if with bark. |
| 7. | to treat with a bark infusion; tan. |
| 8. | to strip the bark from; peel. |

| 1. | Nautical. a sailing vessel having three or more masts, square-rigged on all but the aftermost mast, which is fore-and-aft-rigged. |
| 2. | Literary. a boat or sailing vessel. |

bark
In addition to the idioms beginning with bark, also see talk one's arm off (the bark off a tree).