marker

American  

[mahr-ker] / ˈmɑr kər /

noun

markers plural

1. a person or thing that marks.

2. something used as a mark or indication, as a bookmark or tombstone.

3. a person who records the scores, points, etc., as in a game or contest.

4. a counter used in card playing.

5. Digital Technology. a navigation pointer or other indicator in a graphical user interface: Place markers at the beginning and end of your selection to trim your video in edit mode.

   Dragging the marker up the sound bar will increase the volume.

   Place markers at the beginning and end of your selection to trim your video in edit mode.

6. Genetics. genetic marker.

7. Psychology. an object, as a book or topcoat left at a library table, used to establish territorial possession in a public place.

8. Linguistics.

   1. an element of a construction, as a coordinating conjunction, that is not a part of either immediate constituent.

   2. an element that indicates the grammatical class or function of a construction.

9. a small radio beacon, automatically operated, used for local navigation of vessels.

10. mile-marker.

11. Also called marker pen,.  Also called marking pen.  a pen designed for making bold, colorful, or indelible marks, as in making signs or identifying objects.

12. Slang.

    1. a debt, especially a gambling debt.

    2. a written or signed promise to pay a debt, especially a gambling debt; a promissory note or IOU.

13. Also called marker crude.  Commerce. a grade of oil on which prices of other crude oils are based.

14. Citizens Band Radio Slang. one's location while driving on a highway, as determined by the nearest milepost.

---

marker British  

/ ˈmɑːkə /

noun

1. 1. something used for distinguishing or marking

   2. ( as modifier )

      a marker buoy

2. a person or thing that marks

3. a person or object that keeps or shows scores in a game

4. a trait, condition, gene, or substance that indicates the presence of, or a probable increased predisposition to, a medical or psychological disorder See biological marker genetic marker medical marker

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• markers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of marker

First recorded in 1480–90; mark ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

A marker is an ink-filled pen with a wide tip. Kids often use washable markers, while adults are usually trusted with the permanent type. Permanent markers contain ink that can't be washed away, and they're useful for labeling and marking things like cardboard boxes and file folders. Another kind of marker is a highlighter, which you can use to make important words or phrases in a book stand out with a line of translucent neon ink. A different meaning of marker is "something that marks a route or specific place." Markers along a hiking trail help keep you from getting lost.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

marker markers

Instead, the researchers view digit ratio as a possible marker of hormonal exposure during early fetal development.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

After extensive research, I could not find so much as a marker, on-site or elsewhere, commemorating the lives lost.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

Watkins’ return is a momentous mile marker for a Trojans team that has serious national title aspirations this season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

Growing evidence suggests male infertility can be a marker of wider health problems from obesity to smoking or hormonal abnormalities, according to Prof Alnajjar, who also speaks for the British Association of Urological Surgeons.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

She pointed at the half-finished symbol on the screen and at the one drawn in marker on Coal’s backpack.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Bale said people standing near her started to use her group as markers, with one asking her to stay in place while she went to the bathroom so she could find her boyfriend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Neurons with a damaged MPS accumulated increasing amounts of this harmful molecule and displayed more markers of cell death.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

He added: "It's the one that we suffer from the most - the social markers, the local dialect, who you are, and where you should be in life, because of how you speak."

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Index retirement ages to current life spans rather than to historic markers set when people died younger.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Seven pulled a pack of neon markers from her bag and began to highlight furiously.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Related Words

• flag
• gravestone
• indicator
• pole
• stone
• tombstone