mark

mark¹

/mahrk/, n.

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

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

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

4. 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.

5. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

12. (usually cap.) U.S. Mil. 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.

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

14. an object or end desired or striven for; goal.

15. Slang.

a. an object of derision, scorn, manipulation, or the like: He was an easy mark for criticism.

b. the intended victim of a swindler, hustler, or the like: The cardsharps picked their marks from among the tourists on the cruise ship.

16. Track. the starting line.

17. Boxing. the middle of the stomach.

18. Lawn Bowling. jack¹ (def. 17).

19. Bowling. a strike or spare.

20. Naut. 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. Cf. deep (def. 35).

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

22. Archaic or Hist. a boundary; frontier.

23. beside the mark, not pertinent; irrelevant.

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

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

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

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

v.t.

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

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

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

31. scent-mark (def. 2).

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

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

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

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

36. to record, as a score.

37. to make manifest: to mark approval with a nod.

38. to give heed or attention to: Mark my words!

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

v.i.

40. to take notice; give attention; consider.

41. scent-mark (def. 1).

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

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

44. mark time. See time (def. 45).

45. mark up,

a. to mar or deface with marks.

b. to mark with notations or symbols.

c. 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.

d. to increase the selling price of.

[bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE mearc mark, sign, banner, dividing line, borderland; c. G Mark borderland, unit of weight, ON mork forest (orig., borderland), unit of weight, Goth marka boundary, borderland, L margo MARGIN; (v.) ME marken, OE mearcian; c. OFris merkia, OHG marchon, ON marka to plan]

Syn. 10. eminence, consequence. 11. feature, stamp, print. 14. purpose, objective. 34. identify, label, tag. 37, 38. note. 39. eye, regard, spot.

mark²

/mahrk/, n.

1. the monetary unit of Germany since 1871: originally a silver coin. Cf. Deutsche mark, ostmark, reichsmark.

2. the markka of Finland.

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

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

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

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

[bef. 900; ME; OE marc unit of weight < ML marca < Gmc; see MARK¹]

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(as used in expressions)

Antony Mark

Clark Mark Wayne

Goodson Mark

Hanna Mark

Hopkins Mark

Mark the Evangelist Saint

McGwire Mark David

Morris Mark

ripple mark

Roget Peter Mark

Rothko Mark

Saint Mark's Basilica

Scott Paul Mark

Spitz Mark Andrew

Strand Mark

Tobey Mark

Twain Mark

Van Doren Carl Clinton and Mark

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▪ German currency

      former monetary unit of Germany.

      The early history of the term can be traced back at least to the 11th century, when the mark was mentioned in Germany as a unit of weight (approximately eight ounces) most commonly used for gold and silver. As a unit of account, it was employed during the Middle Ages for the payment of large sums; the small silver coins of varying size and quality were melted and cast into lumps on which were stamped the weight and purity of the silver. These coins were called Usualmarks.

      In the 19th century the mark was a common small coin in the German states, but its value varied between states. The gold mark, equal to 100 pfennig, was adopted to replace the taler and the guilder in 1873, soon after the creation of the German Empire, and became the standard of value and the money of account for the empire. After World War I the mark collapsed as Germany suffered from hyperinflation. To stem currency instability and to stabilize the economy, the gold mark was replaced by the Rentenmark in 1924, at which time a U.S. dollar was worth 4.2 billion marks. During the era of Nazi Germany (1933–45), the Reichsmark became the country's official monetary unit, and the currency was adorned with the swastika. In 1948 the deutsche mark (DM; “German mark”) was introduced in West Germany, and over the next several decades it developed into one of the world's leading currencies, challenging the dollar and pound sterling on international markets. In 1990 the deutsche mark became the official currency of reunified Germany; East German marks became obsolete and were exchangeable at parity with the West German mark. In 2002, however, the deutsche mark ceased to be legal tender after the euro, the monetary unit of the European Union, became the country's sole currency.

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