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Synonyms

barker

1 American  
[bahr-ker] / ˈbɑr kər /

noun

  1. an animal or person that barks. bark.

  2. a person who stands before a theater, carnival sideshow, or the like, calling out its attractions to passers-by.

barker 2 American  
[bahr-ker] / ˈbɑr kər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that removes bark from trees.

  2. a person or thing that prepares bark for tanning.

Barker 1 British  
/ ˈbɑːkə /

noun

  1. George ( Granville ). 1913–91, British poet: author of Calamiterror (1937) and The True Confession of George Barker (1950)

  2. Howard . born 1946, British playwright: his plays include Claw (1975), The Castle (1985), A Hard Heart (1992), and 13 Objects (2003)

  3. Ronnie , full name Ronald William George Barker . 1929–2005, British comedian: known esp for his partnership with Ronnie Corbett (born 1930) in the TV series The Two Ronnies (1971–85)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
barker 2 British  
/ ˈbɑːkə /

noun

  1. an animal or person that barks

  2. a person who stands at a show, fair booth, etc, and loudly addresses passers-by to attract customers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
barker 3 British  
/ ˈbɑːkə /

noun

  1. a person or machine that removes bark from trees or logs or prepares it for tanning

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of barker1

First recorded in 1350–1400, barker is from the Middle English word berker, berkar. See bark 1, -er 1

Origin of barker2

1375–1425, earlier as surname; late Middle English. See bark 2 (v.), -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

McLuhan was seen as more of a carnival barker than a scholar, and people—clearly—didn’t heed his warnings about technology.

From Slate • Jul. 28, 2025

Parker, a Dutch-born carnival barker turned music impresario, was Presley’s longtime manager and known and often criticized for his cutthroat business style.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2023

As such, when many people talk about "struggle meals," especially online, it's often with a kind of carnival barker mentality, touting promises of the bizarre.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2023

On the sidewalk, a barker urged passers-by to take a look.

From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2022

“Lookit this ’ere boy!” he shouted, like he was a barker at the county fair and me the prize pig.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.