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bark²

(bärk)

1. The tough outer covering of the woody stems and roots of trees, shrubs, and other woody plants. It includes all tissues outside the vascular cambium.

2. A specific kind of bark used for a special purpose, as in tanning or medicine.

tr.v. barked, bark·ing, barks

1. To remove bark from (a tree or log).

2. To rub off the skin of; abrade: barked my shin on the car door.

3. To tan or dye (leather or fabric) by steeping in an infusion of bark.

4. To treat (a patient) using a medicinal bark infusion.

[Middle English, from Old English, from Old Norse bǫrkr, bark-; see bherəg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

barky adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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