low-water mark

noun

the lowest point reached by a low tide.
something indicating the bottom of a decline.
the lowest or least admirable level: the low-water mark of political chicanery.

Origin of low-water mark

First recorded in 1520–30

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for low-water mark

Historical Examples of low-water mark

When did he ever go down to low-water-mark, to make an ousting of tide-waiters?
The Works of Daniel Webster, Volume 1
Daniel Webster
I'm at low-water-mark myself—only one bob and a magpie; but, as far as it goes, I'll fork out and stump.
Oliver Twist, Illustrated
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for low-water mark

low-water mark

noun

the level reached by seawater at low tide or by other stretches of water at their lowest level
the lowest point or level; nadir

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