high-pitched bark
1
3.4
- noun
:
ladrido agudo
- From somewhere deep inside the dollhouse comes a faint, high-pitched bark.
For example, if she's startled, she'll do a very quick, short, high pitched bark.
- For example, if she's startled, she'll do a very quick, short, high pitched bark.
Examples
-
Somewhere toward the back of the house, the dog began to bark, a crazy, high-pitched bark, as if the world were ending.
Fiction book (2001) -
Suddenly, the howling, a P226 high-pitched bark-and-squeal fully audible even from inside the restaurant, ceased.
Fiction book (1993) -
When the mailman approached, the dog let out a sharp, high-pitched bark that echoed through the neighborhood.
-
The little puppy's high-pitched bark was so shrill that it startled everyone in the room.
-
In excitement, the dog jumped around the yard, barking a series of high-pitched barks that filled the air.
Synonyms
22
7.6
A short, high bark made by a small dog or puppy
10
5.3
A short sharp sound a dog makes when it barks once
A short sharp sound like a dog's bark
How High
1
3.4
69
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
high-pitched + bark
The phrase is fully compositional: 'high-pitched' (having a high pitch) simply modifies 'bark' (a dog's sudden loud sound), so the meaning is literally derived from the constituents. This adjective+noun pattern is common in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the expression.
Etymology
High-pitched bark creates a clear image: imagine a small dog whose sound is like a high, sharp whistle. The word high-pitched tells us the high tone and bark is the dog noise, so the phrase means a 'sharp' or 'piercing' dog sound.