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high-water mark
[ hahy-waw-ter, -wot-er ]
/ ˈhaɪˈwɔ tər, -ˈwɒt ər /
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noun
a mark showing the highest level reached by a body of water.
the highest point of anything; acme: Her speech was the high-water mark of the conference.
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Origin of high-water mark
First recorded in1545–55
Words nearby high-water mark
high-up, highveld, high-voltage, highwall, high water, high-water mark, high waters, highway, Highway Code, highway contract route, highwayman
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use high-water mark in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for high-water mark
high-water mark
noun
- the level reached by sea water at high tide or by other stretches of water in flood
- the mark indicating this level
the highest point
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with high-water mark
high-water mark
The peak of something, especially an achievement. For example, This composition is the high-water mark of his entire output. This expression alludes to the highest mark left on shore by the tide. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.