'bard' (verb sense 'to wrap in fat') originates from Old French, specifically the word 'barder', where the verb meant 'to wrap (in bacon) or to cover'.

'barder' from Old French entered Middle English as forms such as 'barden' or 'bard(en)', and developed into the modern English verb 'bard' (and past form 'barded') used for wrapping meat and for armoring horses.

The word has two principal historical strands: one from Old French meaning 'to wrap in fat' (giving the culinary and armoring verbs) and an older Celtic root 'bard' meaning 'poet'. Over time the culinary/armoring verb meanings have become the primary senses for the verb forms like 'barded', while the Celtic sense survives mainly as the noun 'bard' meaning 'poet'.