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hallmark

[ hawl-mahrk ]
/ ˈhɔlˌmɑrk /
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noun
an official mark or stamp indicating a standard of purity, used in marking gold and silver articles assayed by the Goldsmiths' Company of London; plate mark.
any mark or special indication of genuineness, good quality, etc.
any distinguishing feature or characteristic: Accuracy is a hallmark of good scholarship.
verb (used with object)
to stamp or imprint (something) with a hallmark.
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Origin of hallmark

1715–25; Goldsmiths' Hall, London, the seat of the Goldsmiths' Company + mark1

OTHER WORDS FROM hallmark

hallmarker, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hallmark in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hallmark

hallmark
/ (ˈhɔːlˌmɑːk) /

noun
British an official series of marks, instituted by statute in 1300, and subsequently modified, stamped by the Guild of Goldsmiths at one of its assay offices on gold, silver, or platinum (since 1975) articles to guarantee purity, date of manufacture, etc
a mark or sign of authenticity or excellence
an outstanding or distinguishing feature
verb
(tr) to stamp with or as if with a hallmark
Also (for senses 1, 4): platemark

Word Origin for hallmark

C18: named after Goldsmiths' Hall in London, where items were graded and stamped
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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