barkening

Verb

barken (third-person singular simple present barkens, present participle barkening, simple past and past participle barkened)

1. (Scotland, UK, dialectal, intransitive) To become hard or form a crust, like bark.
   • The poor patient knew at once his master's tongue, and lifting up one of his eyes, the other being stiff and barkened down, said in a melancholy voice, "Ah, master, do you think I'll get better?"1828, David Macbeth Moir, The Life of Mansie Wauch
2. (UK, dialectal, transitive) To tan or dye with bark.
   • "And it wad far better become ye, Mr. Saddletree," continued his helpmate, "since ye say ye hae skeel o' the law, to try if ye can do onything for Effie Deans, puir thing, that's lying up in the tolbooth yonder, cauld, and hungry, and comfortless--A servant lass of ours, Mr. Butler, and as innocent...1818, Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Vol. 1., Illustrated

See all 3 meanings of barken