ark

¹

[ahrk]

noun

1. Noah's Ark.

2. Also called ark of the covenant. a chest or box containing the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, carried by the Israelites in their wanderings in the desert after the Exodus: the most sacred object of the tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem, where it was kept in the holy of holies.

3. Judaism.,  Ark, Holy Ark.

4. a place of protection or security; refuge; asylum.

5. a flatboat formerly used on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

6. Nautical.,  life car.

7. Archaic.,  a chest or box.

Ark.

²

abbreviation

1. Arkansas.

ark

¹

/ ɑːk /

noun

1. the vessel that Noah built and in which he saved himself, his family, and a number of animals and birds during the Flood (Genesis 6–9)

2. informal,  very old; out of date

3. a place or thing offering shelter or protection

4. dialect,  a chest, box, or coffer

Ark

²

/ ɑːk /

noun

1. Also called: Holy Ark. the cupboard at the front of a synagogue, usually in the eastern wall, in which the Torah scrolls are kept

2. Also called: Ark of the Covenant. the most sacred symbol of God's presence among the Hebrew people, carried in their journey from Sinai to the Promised Land (Canaan) and eventually enshrined in the holy of holies of the Temple in Jerusalem

Ark.

³

abbreviation

1. Arkansas

Word History and Origins

Origin of ark¹

First recorded before 850; Middle English ark(e), erke, Old English arc, earc(e) (compare Old Frisian erke, arke, Dutch ark, Old High German, Gothic arka, Old Norse ǫrk ), from Latin arca “chest, coffer,” derivative of arcēre “to safeguard,” cognate with Hittite h̬ark- “hold, possess”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ark¹

Old English arc, from Latin arca box, chest

Example Sentences

He and his family are currently living at Noah's Ark Children's Hospital in Cardiff.

From BBC

The devils were born at Aussie Ark, a conservation organization in New South Wales, according to the release.

From Los Angeles Times

Pip Squire, head of sustainability at Ark Data Centres, says water companies need to be much clearer with industrial customers about how much water they have available and how resilient the supply is.

From BBC

They married in 2004 in her hometown of Fayetteville, Ark., and honeymooned in Africa.

From Los Angeles Times

The decision affirmed the citizenship of Wong Kim Ark, who was born in San Francisco in 1873 to Chinese parents who were living and working there, but who were not U.S. citizens.

From Los Angeles Times