tanbark

American  

[tan-bahrk] / ˈtænˌbɑrk /

1. the bark of the oak, hemlock, etc., bruised and broken by a mill and used especially in tanning hides.

2. a surface covered with pieces of tanbark, especially a circus ring.

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tanbark British  

/ ˈtænˌbɑːk /

noun

1. Often shortened to: tan.  the bark of certain trees, esp the oak and hemlock, used as a source of tannin

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Etymology

Origin of tanbark

First recorded in 1790–1800; tan ¹ + bark ²

Example Sentences

Pity’s talent, which she seems to make up on the spot, is being able to eat anything, which she proves by picking up a handful of tanbark bits and swallowing them, splinters and all.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2022

It's sunny and earthbound at once, with scents of wild raspberries and tanbark, with an earthy bottom note — that's the Carignane, announcing itself.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2017

The Row, a straight mile of tanbark along the southern edge of Hyde Park, is as sacred to British horsemen as Shakespeare's tomb is to poets, Westminster to statesmen.

From Time Magazine Archive

But the most awesome new menace to Soviet culture had festered in the tanbark of Russian circuses.

From Time Magazine Archive

The usual way is to sink the alleys three or four inches below the level of the beds, and cover with gravel, tanbark, shells, &c.

From Soil Culture by Walden, J. H.