ark

¹

[ ahrk ]

noun

1. Noah's Ark.
2. Also called ark of the cov·e·nant [ahrk, , uh, v , th, uh, , kuhv, -, uh, -n, uh, nt]. 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. Ark, Judaism. 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 for

1. Arkansas.

Ark

¹

/ ɑːk /

noun

1. Also calledHoly Ark the cupboard at the front of a synagogue, usually in the eastern wall, in which the Torah scrolls are kept
2. Also calledArk 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

²

/ 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. out of the ark informal.
   very old; out of date
3. a place or thing offering shelter or protection
4. dialect.
   a chest, box, or coffer

Ark.

³

abbreviation for

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

They are known as “Noah trees” because of some people’s belief that the trees are the source of the olive branch carried by the dove back to Noah’s ark.

From New York Times

That year the tournament, still men only, ended after the quarterfinals as rain kept coming down and there were reports of Noah preparing his ark.

From Los Angeles Times

Having hired a carpenter to build an ark the size of a guesthouse in his parents’ rural Maine backyard, he feels like he owes us, and probably them, some answers.

From New York Times

All the while, the world is on the brink of destruction, and Lil Nas transforms into Noah who leads his animals to the ark that will save their lives.

From Salon

To stretch the organisation's limited resources, local carpenters were enlisted to craft the tanks which act as a "coral ark", holding dozens of samples of the 10 most susceptible species.

From BBC