noun
bark
A sailing ship with square sails on all but its rearmost mast.
The bark sails into the harbor.
Etymology
French barque named a vessel. The English nautical term acquired a more specific meaning based on its rig, distinguishing a ship by how its different masts carry sails.
More examples
- The museum restored a nineteenth-century bark.
- Three masts rose above the bark’s deck.
- The crew loaded the bark before departure.
Forms
bark · barks
Similar words
- barque
- The alternate spelling of the vessel type.
- sailing ship
- The broader vessel category.