hallmark

[ hawl-mahrk ]
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noun
  1. 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.

  2. any mark or special indication of genuineness, good quality, etc.

  1. any distinguishing feature or characteristic: Accuracy is a hallmark of good scholarship.

verb (used with object)
  1. to stamp or imprint (something) with a hallmark.

Origin of hallmark

1
1715–25; Goldsmiths' Hall, London, the seat of the Goldsmiths' Company + mark1

Other words from hallmark

  • hallmarker, noun

Words Nearby hallmark

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use hallmark in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hallmark

hallmark

/ (ˈhɔːlˌmɑːk) /


noun
  1. 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

  2. a mark or sign of authenticity or excellence

  1. an outstanding or distinguishing feature

verb
  1. (tr) to stamp with or as if with a hallmark

Origin of hallmark

1
C18: named after Goldsmiths' Hall in London, where items were graded and stamped
  • Also (for senses 1, 4): platemark

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