barker:

(plural: ‘barkers‘)

‘Bark’, as a noun, is more commonly used for the loud voice (call) of a dog and some other animals, and for the outer tough covering of a tree, and as a verb, ‘to bark’ is ‘(of an animal) to give out a loud call and (of a person) to shout loudly, e.g. ‘The Captain barked an order.’, ‘Our manager never talks to us; he always barks at us, i.e. he shouts at us loudly.’

a barker at an entertainment show

 

(old usage) a person, usually a young man in colourful fancy clothes, who stands outside an amusement park, circus, theatre, fair and even a shop, shouting loudly urging people to get in;

a person whose job is to remove bark (hard covering) of a tree or log,

 

barkers barking a tree (removing the bark of a tree)

e.g.

In Ethiopia, it’s a common sight to see barkers at any taxi stand, announcing the destination of each of the taxis.

The mall mascots, people in large fancy or popular animal suits, at large markets and malls are the modern day barkers of the past!

“Barker” is also used for dogs that bark a lot.
Note: ‘Barker’ is often found in the names of people, e.g. Michael Barker, Sue Barker, etc., and also in the names of places, e.g. Barker, Broadwater County, Montana, USA; Barker, Niagara County, New York, USA, etc.
Compare: crier
For more on ‘barker’, also called “sideshow talker”, please click here.

Return to “crier“.

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

Comments are closed.