mark

[mahrk]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mark ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a visible impression or trace on something, as a line, cut, dent, stain, or bruise: a small mark on his arm.

a badge, brand, or other visible sign assumed or imposed: a mark of his noble rank.

a symbol used in writing or printing: a punctuation mark.

a sign, usually an X or cross, made instead of a signature by someone who does not know how or is unable to write his or her own name.

an affixed or impressed device, symbol, inscription, etc., serving to give information, identify, indicate origin or ownership, attest to character or comparative merit, or the like, as a trademark.

a sign, token, or indication: to bow as a mark of respect.

a symbol used in rating conduct, proficiency, attainment, etc., as of pupils in a school: good marks; bad marks.

something serving as an indication of position, as a landmark.

a recognized or required standard of quality, accomplishment, etc.; norm: His dissertation was below the mark.

distinction or importance; repute; note: a man of mark.

a distinctive trait or characteristic: the usual marks of a gentleman.

(usually initial capital letter) U.S. Military. a designation for an item of military equipment in production, used in combination with a numeral to indicate the order of adoption, and often abbreviated: a Mark-4 tank; an M-1 rifle.

an object aimed at; target: to aim at the mark.

an object or end desired or striven for; goal.

Slang.

an object of derision, scorn, manipulation, or the like: He was an easy mark for criticism.
the intended victim of a swindler, hustler, or the like: The cardsharps picked their marks from among the tourists on the cruise ship.

Track. the starting line.

Boxing. the middle of the stomach.

Lawn Bowling. jack¹(def 18).

Bowling. a strike or spare.

Nautical. any of the distinctively marked points on a deep-sea lead line, occurring at levels of 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17, and 20 fathoms above the lead.Compare deep(def 33).

a tract of land that may have been held in common by a primitive or early medieval community of peasants in Germany.

Archaic or History/Historical. a boundary; frontier.

verb (used with object)

to be a distinguishing feature of: a day marked by rain.

to put a mark or marks on: to mark each box with an X.

to give a grade for; put a grade on: to mark the final exams.

scent-mark(def 2).

to furnish with figures, signs, tags, etc., to indicate price, quality, brand name, or the like: We marked all the books with prices.

to trace or form by or as if by marks (often followed by out): to mark out a plan of attack.

to indicate or designate by or as if by marks: to mark passages to be memorized.

to single out; destine (often followed by out): to be marked out for promotion.

to record, as a score.

to make manifest: to mark approval with a nod.

to give heed or attention to: Mark my words!

to notice or observe: to mark a change in the weather.

verb (used without object)

to take notice; give attention; consider.

scent-mark(def 1).

Verb Phrases

mark down, to reduce the price of: These towels have been marked down.

mark off, to mark the proper dimensions or boundaries of; separate: We marked off the limits of our lot with stakes.

mark up,

to mar or deface with marks.
to mark with notations or symbols.
to fix the selling price of (an article) by adding to the seller's cost an amount to cover expenses and profit: to mark up dresses 50 percent.
to increase the selling price of.
to make corrections or changes to (written or printed text).
to indicate detailed instructions concerning the format, style, or structure for (a manuscript to be typeset, an electronic document, or a web page).

Idioms

beside the mark, not pertinent; irrelevant.

bless/save the mark! (used as an exclamation of disapproval, contempt, impatience, etc.)Also God bless/save the mark!

make one's mark, to attain success or fame; achieve one's ambition: He set out to make his mark as a writer.

mark time. time(def 55).

on your mark/marks! (in calling the start of a race) take your places: On your mark! Get set! Go!Also get ready!, ready!

wide of the mark, far from the target or objective; inaccurate or irrelevant: My first guess was wide of the mark.

Origin of mark

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English mearc mark, sign, banner, dividing line, borderland; cognate with German Mark borderland, unit of weight, Old Norse mǫrk forest (orig., borderland), unit of weight, Gothic marka boundary, borderland, Latin margō margin; (v.) Middle English marken, Old English mearcian; cognate with Old Frisian merkia, Old High German marchōn, Old Norse marka to plan

Synonyms for mark

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mark ON THESAURUS.COM

10. eminence, consequence. 11. feature, stamp, print. 14. purpose, objective. 29. identify, label, tag. 32, 33. note. 34. eye, regard, spot.

mark

[mahrk]

noun

the monetary unit of Germany from 1871 to 2002, when the euro was adopted: originally a silver coin.Compare Deutsche mark, ostmark, reichsmark.

the markka of Finland.

Also merk. a former silver coin of Scotland, equal to 13s. 4d.

a former money of account of England, equal to 13s. 4d.

a former coin of Estonia, the 1/100 part of a kroon: replaced by the sent after 1927.

a former European unit of weight, especially for gold and silver, generally equal to 8 ounces (249 grams).

Origin of mark

before 900; Middle English; Old English marc unit of weight < Medieval Latin marca < Germanic; see mark¹

Mark

[mahrk]

noun

one of the four Evangelists: traditionally believed to be the author of the second Gospel.

the second Gospel: to read aloud from Mark.

King, Arthurian Romance. ruler of Cornwall, husband of Iseult and uncle of Sir Tristram.

Saint. Marcus, Saint.

a male given name, form of Marcus.

Hanna

[han-uh]

noun

Marcus AlonzoMark, 1837–1904, U.S. merchant and politician: senator 1897–1904.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for mark

streak, impression, point, stamp, symbol, spot, imprint, record, score, signature, stain, scar, line, marking, level, result, value, effect, impress, seal

Examples from the Web for mark

Contemporary Examples of mark

Toomey lives here with her husband, Mark, a managing director at Goldman Sachs, and their two daughters.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze
Lizzie Crocker
January 9, 2015
At some point, show creator Mark Burnett made the diabolical decision to extend the show to 120 minutes.
Donald Trump Fires Woman For Not Calling Bill Cosby
Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video
January 5, 2015
Even those Christians who do want to minister amid the rancor of race and policing are missing the mark.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters
James Poulos
January 1, 2015
But for the real Mark Schultz, whom Tatum plays in the film Foxcatcher, it has become a sore point.
Wrestler Mark Schultz Hates the ‘Sickening and Insulting Lies’ of ‘Foxcatcher’
Rich Goldstein
December 31, 2014
Typically, aircraft will work in pairs where the flight lead will make an initial pass to mark a target with rockets.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019
Dave Majumdar
December 31, 2014

Historical Examples of mark

And what monument would you have reared to mark the spot where Anaxagoras sleeps?
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
Mrs. Rushton was pleased with this mark of attention, and after a slight demur, accepted.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
The voyage was more than half completed, and nothing of importance had occurred to mark it.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
Their faces fell, and even Mark began a gentle expostulation.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
Mark was in many things an exception—a curious mixture of child and youth.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for mark

mark

noun

a visible impression, stain, etc, on a surface, such as a spot or scratch

a sign, symbol, or other indication that distinguishes somethingan owner's mark

a cross or other symbol made instead of a signature

a written or printed sign or symbol, as for punctuationa question mark

a letter, number, or percentage used to grade academic work

a thing that indicates position or directs; marker

a desired or recognized standardhe is not up to the mark

an indication of some quality, feature, or prowesshe has the mark of an athlete

quality or importance; notea person of little mark

a target or goal

impression or influencehe left his mark on German literature

one of the temperature settings on a gas ovengas mark 5

(often capital) (in trade names)

model, brand, or typethe car is a Mark 4
a variation on a particular modela Mark 3 Cortina

slang a suitable victim, esp for swindling

nautical one of the intervals distinctively marked on a sounding leadCompare deep (def. 21)

bowls another name for the jack 1 (def. 7)

rugby Union an action in which a player standing inside his own 22m line catches a forward kick by an opponent and shouts "mark", entitling himself to a free kick

Australian rules football a catch of the ball from a kick of at least 10 yards, after which a free kick is taken

the mark boxing the middle of the stomach at or above the line made by the boxer's trunks

(in medieval England and Germany) a piece of land held in common by the free men of a community

an obsolete word for frontier

statistics See class mark

make one's mark to succeed or achieve recognition

on your mark or on your marks a command given to runners in a race to prepare themselves at the starting line

verb

to make or receive (a visible impression, trace, or stain) on (a surface)

(tr) to characterize or distinguishhis face was marked by anger

(often foll by off or out) to set boundaries or limits (on)to mark out an area for negotiation

(tr) to select, designate, or doom by or as if by a markto mark someone as a criminal

(tr) to put identifying or designating labels, stamps, etc, on, esp to indicate priceto mark the book at one pound

(tr) to pay heed or attention tomark my words

to observe; notice

to grade or evaluate (scholastic work)she marks fairly

British sport to stay close to (an opponent) to hamper his or her play

to keep (score) in some games

mark time

to move the feet alternately as in marching but without advancing
to act in a mechanical and routine way
to halt progress temporarily, while awaiting developments

interjection

rugby Union the shout given by a player when calling for a mark

Word Origin for mark

Old English mearc mark; related to Old Norse mörk boundary land, Old High German marha boundary, Latin margō margin

mark

noun

See Deutschmark, markka, Reichsmark, Ostmark

a former monetary unit and coin in England and Scotland worth two thirds of a pound sterling

a silver coin of Germany until 1924

Word Origin for mark

Old English marc unit of weight of precious metal, perhaps from the marks on metal bars; apparently of Germanic origin and related to mark 1

Mark

noun New Testament

one of the four Evangelists. Feast day: April 25

the second Gospel, traditionally ascribed to him

Hanna

noun

William. 1910–2001, US animator and film producer who with Joseph Barbera (1911–2006) created the cartoon characters Tom and Jerry in the 1940s; the Hanna–Barbera company later produced numerous cartoon series for television.

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

Word Origin and History for mark

n.1

"trace, impression," Old English mearc (West Saxon), merc (Mercian) "boundary, sign, limit, mark," from Proto-Germanic *marko (cf. Old Norse merki "boundary, sign," mörk "forest," which often marked a frontier; Old Frisian merke, Gothic marka "boundary, frontier," Dutch merk "mark, brand," German Mark "boundary, boundary land"), from PIE *merg- "edge, boundary, border" (cf. Latin margo "margin;" Avestan mareza- "border," Old Irish mruig, Irish bruig "borderland," Welsh bro "district").

The primary sense is probably "boundary," which had evolved by Old English through "sign of a boundary," through "sign in general," then to "impression or trace forming a sign." Meaning "any visible trace or impression" first recorded c.1200. Sense of "line drawn to indicate starting point of a race" (e.g. on your marks ...) first attested 1887. The Middle English sense of "target" (c.1200) is the notion in marksman and slang sense "victim of a swindle" (1883). The notion of "sign, token" is behind the meaning "numerical award given by a teacher" (1829). Influenced by Scandinavian cognates.

n.2

"unit of money or weight," late Old English marc, a unit of weight (chiefly for gold or silver) equal to about eight ounces, probably from Old Norse mörk "unit of weight," cognate with German Mark, probably ultimately a derivative of mark (n.1), perhaps in sense of "imprinted weight or coin." Used from 18c. in reference to various continental coinages, especially. the silver coin of Germany first issued 1875.

Mark

masc. proper name, variant of Marcus (q.v.). Among the top 10 names given to boy babies born in the U.S. between 1955 and 1970.

"to put a mark on," Old English mearcian (West Saxon), merciga (Anglian) "to trace out boundaries," from Proto-Germanic *markojanan (cf. Old Norse merkja, Old Saxon markon, Old Frisian merkia, Old High German marchon, German merken "to mark, note," Middle Dutch and Dutch merken), from the root of mark (n.1).

Influenced by Scandinavian cognates. Meaning "to have a mark" is from c.1400; that of "to notice, observe" is late 14c. Meaning "to put a numerical price on an object for sale" led to verbal phrase mark down (1859). Mark time (1833) is from military drill. Related: Marked; marking. Old French merchier "to mark, note, stamp, brand" is a Germanic loan-word.

mark in Medicine

mark

[märk]

n.

A spot or line on a surface, visible through difference in color or elevation from that of the surrounding area.

A distinctive trait or property.

v.

To make a visible trace or impression on, as occurs with a spot or dent.

To form, make, or depict by making a mark.

To distinguish or characterize.

Idioms and Phrases with mark

mark

In addition to the idioms beginning with mark

mark down
marked man, a
mark my words
mark time
mark up

also see:

beside the point (mark)
black mark
give bad marks to
high-water mark
hit the bull's-eye (mark)
make one's mark
off the mark
quick off the mark
toe the line (mark)
up to par (the mark)
wide of the mark
x marks the spot