Topic: COLOURS AND SOUNDS
 |
| Language: | Old English |
| Origin: | beorcan |
| |||||||||
bark1
1 [intransitive]HBAC when a dog barks, it makes a short loud sound or series of sounds [↪ growl]
[intransitive]HBAC2 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.
'Don't just stand there, give me a hand,' she barked at the shop assistant.3 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.
bark up the wrong tree
informalThe police spent three months barking up the wrong tree on the murder investigation.4 [transitive]MI to rub the skin off your knee, elbow etc by falling or knocking against something [= graze]: I barked my shin against the step.
I barked my shin against the step.