1540s (transitive), "to put on board a ship or other vessel;" 1570s (intransitive), "to go on board ship, as when setting out on a voyage," from French embarquer, from assimilated form of en- "in" (see en- (1)) + barque "small ship" (see bark (n.)). Related: Embarked; embarking.

1580s, transitive, "go aboard again," from re- "back, again" + embark. Transitive meaning "put on board again" is from 1610s. Related: Re-embarked; re-embarking.

"act of putting or going on board ship, act of sending off by water," 1640s, from French embarcation, noun of action from embarquer (see embark) or from Spanish embarcacion.

1580s, "put on shore, remove from on board a ship to land," also intransitive, "land from a ship, go on shore," from French desembarquer, from des- (see dis-) + embarquer (see embark). Related: Disembarkation; disembarked; disembarking.

c. 1300, "to send or transport (merchandise, people) by ship; to board a ship; to travel by ship, sail, set sail," also figurative, from ship (n.). Old English scipian is attested only in the senses "take ship, embark; be furnished with a ship." Transferred to other means of conveyance (railroad, etc.) by 1857 in American English. U.S. military phrase ship out "be transported, depart" is by 1948. Related: Shipped; shipping.