mark
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /mɑːk/
ipa: /mɑɹk/
ipa: /mäː(ɾ)k/
ipa: /mæɹk/
rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)k
homophone: Marc
homophone: Mark
homophone: marque
homophone: mock (non-rhotic, father-bother merger)
Forms: form: marks
form: marke
form: merk
form: marc
Etymology: From Middle English mark, merk, merke, from Old English mearc (“mark, sign, line of division; standard; boundary, limit, term, border; defined area, district, province”), from Proto-West Germanic *marku, from Proto-Germanic *markō (“boundary; boundary marker”), from Proto-Indo-European *mórǵs (“edge, boundary, border”).
Compare march.
Cognates
* Dutch mark, merk (“mark, brand”)
* German Mark (“mark; borderland”), Marke (“mark, brand”)
* Swedish mark (“mark, land, territory”)
* Icelandic mark (“mark, sign”)
* Latin margō (“edge, margin”)
* Persian مرز (marz, “limit, boundary”)
* Sanskrit मर्या (maryā, “limit, mark, boundary”), मार्ग (mārga, “mark, section”).
Senses: topics: heading
glosses: Boundary, land within a boundary.
A boundary; a border or frontier.
topics: heading
glosses: Boundary, land within a boundary.
A boundary-post or fence.
examples: text: I do remember a great thron in Yatton field near Bristow-way, against which Sir William Waller's men made a great fire and killed it. I think the stump remains, and was a mark for travellers.
ref: 1859, Henry Bull, A history, military and municipal, of the ancient borough of the Devizes:
topics: heading
glosses: Boundary, land within a boundary.
A stone or post used to indicate position and guide travellers.
examples: text: There dwells Théoden son of Thengel, King of the Mark of Rohan.
ref: 1954, J R R Tolkien, The Two Towers:
topics: heading
glosses: Boundary, land within a boundary.
A type of small region or principality.
topics: heading
glosses: Boundary, land within a boundary.
A common, or area of common land, especially among early Germanic peoples.
examples: text: depend upon it, you will speedily receive from me a letter of thanks for this as well as for every other mark of your regard during my stay in Hertfordshire.
ref: 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
topics: heading
glosses: Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
An omen; a symptomatic indicator of something.
examples: text: A good sense of manners is the mark of a true gentleman.
text: there is surely a physiognomy, which those experienced and master mendicants observe, whereby they instantly discover a merciful aspect, and will single out a face, wherein they spy the signatures and marks of mercy.
ref: 1642, [Thomas Browne], “(please specify the page)”, in Religio Medici, London: […] Andrew Crooke, →OCLC:
topics: heading
glosses: Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
A characteristic feature.
examples: text: Then she put before her face her poor crushed hands, which bore on their whiteness the red mark of the Count's terrible grip[…].
ref: 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC:
topics: heading
glosses: Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
A visible impression or sign; a blemish, scratch, or stain, whether accidental or intentional.
examples: text: Doubt not of thine election, it is an immutable decree; a mark never to be defaced: you have been otherwise, you may and shall be.
ref: 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “III.iv.2.6”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
topics: heading
glosses: Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
A sign or brand on a person.
examples: text: The font wasn't able to render all the diacritical marks properly.
topics: heading
glosses: Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
A written character or sign.
examples: text: With eggs, you need to check for the quality mark before you buy.
text: But vvhat a vvretched, and diſconſolate Hermitage is that Houſe, vvhich is not viſited by thee [God], and vvhat a VVayue, and Stray is that Man, that hath not thy Markes vpon him?
ref: 1624, John Donne, “13. Prayer”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, →OCLC, page 329:
text: The mark of the artisan is found upon the most ancient fabrics that have come to light.
ref: 1876, Edward H. Knight, American Mechanical Dictionary:
topics: heading
glosses: Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
A stamp or other indication of provenance, quality etc.
topics: heading
glosses: Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
Resemblance, likeness, image.
examples: text: I am proud to present my patented travelator, mark two.
topics: heading
glosses: Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
A particular design or make of an item (now usually with following numeral).
examples: text: What mark did you get in your history test?
topics: heading
glosses: Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
A score for finding the correct answer, or other academic achievement; the sum of such points gained as out of a possible total.
examples: text: A skilfull archer ought first to know the marke he aimeth at, and then apply his hand, his bow, his string, his arrow and his motion accordingly.
ref: , II.1
text: To give them an accurate eye and strength of arm, none under twenty-four years of age might shoot at any standing mark, except it was for a rover, and then he was to change his mark at every shot; and no person above that age might shoot at any mark whose distance was less than eleven score yards.
ref: 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 37:
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
A target for shooting at with a projectile.
examples: text: I filled the bottle up to the 500ml mark.
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
An indication or sign used for reference or measurement.
examples: text: Another common form of short con is the shell game. This scam has the advantage of giving the criminal the ability to rip off many marks all at one location.
ref: 2009, Michael Benson, Cons and Frauds, Infobase, →ISBN, page 21:
text: [Xi Jinping] asked for Trump's personal attention to the issue, probably figuring he had identified his mark and wasn't going to let him get away.
ref: 2020 June 23, John Bolton, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 313:
text: Dominic Di Grasso (Michael Imperioli): How are you gonna make it in life if you're this big a mark?
Albie Di Grasso (Adam DiMarco): I'm not a mark.
ref: 2022 December 11, Mike White, “Arrivederci”, in Mike White, director, The White Lotus, season 2, episode 7, via HBO:
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
The target or intended victim of a swindle, fixed game or con game; a gullible person.
examples: text: A mark saies my Lady. Let the mark haue a prick in't, to meate at, if it may be.
ref: c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
text: her thighs were still spread, and the mark lay fair for him, who, now kneeling between them, displayed to us a side-view of that fierce erect machine of his[…].
ref: 1749, [John Cleland], “(Please specify the letter or volume)”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC:
english: Fanny Hill
translation: Fanny Hill
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
The female genitals.
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
A catch of the ball directly from a kick of 10 metres or more without having been touched in transit, resulting in a free kick.
qualifier: Rugby football; Australian rules football; Rugby football; Australian rules football
topics: heading
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
The line indicating an athlete's starting-point.
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
A score for a sporting achievement.
examples: text: A mark for tardiness or for absence is considered by most pupils a disgrace, and strenuous efforts are made to avoid such a mark.
ref: 1871, Chicago Board of Education, Annual Report, volume 17, page 102:
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
An official note that is added to a record kept about someone's behavior or performance.
examples: text: Now put the pastry in at 450 degrees, or mark 8.
topics: cooking
food
heading
lifestyle
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
A specified level on a scale denoting gas-powered oven temperatures.
examples: text: The Mark I system had poor radar, and the Mark II was too expensive; regardless, most antiaircraft direction remained the responsibility of the Mark I Eyeball (as the jocular phrase calls it): that is, the operator's eye.
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
The model number of a device; a device model.
qualifier: product design/engineering
examples: text: to be within the mark
text: to come up to the mark
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
Limit or standard of action or fact.
examples: text: In the official marks invested, you / Anon do meet the Senate.
ref: 1605, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus:
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
Badge or sign of honour, rank, or official station.
examples: text: patricians of mark
text: a fellow of no mark
topics: heading
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
Preeminence; high position.
topics: heading
human-sciences
logic
mathematics
philosophy
sciences
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
A characteristic or essential attribute; a differential.
topics: heading
nautical
transport
glosses: Indicator of position, objective etc.
One of the bits of leather or coloured bunting placed upon a sounding line at intervals of from two to five fathoms. (The unmarked fathoms are called "deeps".)
examples: text: But faults so countenanced, that the strong statutes Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop, as much in mock as mark
ref: 1604, William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure:
topics: heading
glosses: Attention.
examples: text: His last comment is particularly worthy of mark.
topics: heading
glosses: Attention.
Attention, notice.
examples: text: in the short story of western flavor he was a pioneer of mark, the founder of a genre: probably no other writer is so significant in his field.
ref: 1909, Richard Burton, Masters of the English Novel:
topics: heading
glosses: Attention.
Importance, noteworthiness. (Generally in postmodifier “of mark”.)
topics: heading
glosses: Attention.
Regard; respect.
topics: government
hobbies
lifestyle
martial-arts
military
politics
professional-wrestling
sports
war
wrestling
glosses: Condescending label of a wrestling fan who refuses to believe that pro wrestling is predetermined and/or choreographed.
Synonyms: sense: a particular design or make
word: Mk
sense: a particular design or make
word: Mk.
sense: attention, notice
word: heed
word: observance
word: attention
Derived terms: accent mark
airmark
atmark
beauty mark
bench-mark
benchmark
beside the mark
birthmark
bitemark
black mark
blue check mark
bookmark
brandmark
brushmark
byte order mark
byte-order mark
cardinal mark
catchmark
center mark
centre mark
certification mark
chatter mark
checkmark
check mark
chest mark
chop mark
claiming mark
classmark
coachmark
combining mark
consequential mark
cost mark
countermark
cropmark
crop mark
cue mark
cutmark
datemark
daymark
decimal mark
diacritical mark
diagonal mark
early mark
earmark
easy mark
end mark
exclamation mark
eyemark
factory mark
filemark
fingermark
fire mark
floodmark
footmark
Four Marks
fox mark
full marks
funnel mark
gas mark
geta mark
get off the mark
ghost mark
God bless the mark
God save the mark
goldmark
graduation mark
hall-mark
hallmark
handmark
hash mark
headmark
hesitation mark
high-water mark
hit the mark
honey mark
hoofmark
hoof-mark
interrogation mark
inverted question mark
irony mark
iteration mark
kitemark
land mark
landmark
lapmark
lateral mark
laundry mark
laundry-mark
leave a mark
leave one's mark
lettermark
logomark
longing-mark
longing mark
long-vowel mark
lovemark
low-water mark
lugmark
make a mark
make one's mark
manga mark
mark 1 eyeball
mark and sweep
Mark Cross
Markland
markland
markless
mark-making
markman
mark of admiration
mark of Cain
mark of exclamation
mark of interrogation
mark of the beast
Mark of the Web
markproof
marksheet
marksman
marksperson
markstone
markswoman
mark-to-market
mark to market
mark-to-model
mark to model
mark tree
mark-white
markworthy
matchmark
mating mark
metalmark
micromark
miss the mark
monomark
mother's mark
near the mark
no mark
no-mark
noonmark
oblique mark
official mark
off the mark
O mark
on one's mark
on the mark
on your mark
on your marks
order-mark
order mark
overshoot the mark
overstep the mark
paragraph mark
penalty mark
pitch mark
placemark
plate mark
platemark
Plimsoll mark
plus mark
pockmark
pointing mark
pontil mark
port-wine mark
postmark
privy mark
proof mark
pugmark
punctuation mark
question mark
quick off the mark
quotation mark
quote mark
reference mark
registration mark
Regulo mark
remainder mark
remark
re-mark
reporting mark
ripple mark
save the mark
sawmark
scent mark
scratchmark
scuff mark
sea mark
seamark
servicemark
service mark
setmark
shelfmark
shilling mark
shopmark
shoulder mark
skid-mark
skid mark
skidmark
slap mark
slash mark
slash-mark
slow off the mark
smark
sole mark
soulmark
spectacular mark
speech mark
strawberry mark
stress mark
stretch mark
studmark
submark
surmark
swan mark
swanmark
teethmark
teeth mark
tempo mark
thumbmark
tick mark
tidemark
toe the mark
tomahawk mark
tone mark
toolmark
tooth mark
toothmark
touchmark
touch-mark
track mark
trade mark
trade-mark
trademark
trustmark
up to the mark
vaccination mark
walk the chalk mark
watermark
wavemark
waymark
Welsh Mark
wide of the mark
witness mark
wordmark
word mark
X mark
year mark