bark.

The protective outer covering of a tree's trunk, branches, and roots.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• rough bark
• peeling bark
• smooth birch bark

On the page

Birch bark peeled in pale curls.

He rested his palm against the oak's rough bark.

Deer had rubbed away the bark near the base of the sapling.

Usage notes

Primary category: environment. Texture varies greatly by species; not always rough or thick. The animal sound is a separate sense. Mass noun for material; barks for kinds in specialist use.