mark

1 verb

1 MAKE A MARK (I, T) to make a mark on something in a way that spoils its appearance, or to become spoiled in this way: We were careful not to mark the paintwork. | The disease had marked her face for life. | It's a beautiful table, but it marks very easily.

2 SHOW POSTION (T) to show where something is: A simple wooden cross marked her grave. | He had marked the route in red. | mark your place (=put something in a book to show the page you had reached)

3 CELEBRATE (T) to celebrate an important event: a festival to mark the town's th anniversary

4 SHOW A CHANGE (T) to be a sign of an important change or an important stage in the development of something: His third film marks a major advance in cinematic techniques.

5 be marked by to have a particular quality that is very typical of the way in which someone does something: Her writing is marked by a subtle irony.

6 STUDENT'S WORK (T) especially BrE to read a piece of written work and put a number or letter on it to show what standard it is; grade 1 (5) AmE: I've got a pile of exam papers to mark.

7 WRITE ON STH (T) to write or draw on something, so that someone will notice what you have written: I've marked the pages you need to look at. | a document marked 'private and confidential'

8 SPORT (T) BrE to stay close to a player of the opposite team during a game

9 (you) mark my words! old-fashioned spoken used to tell someone that they should pay attention to what you are saying: There'll be trouble, you mark my words.

10 mark you old-fashioned spoken used to emphasize something you say: Her uncle's just given her a car - given, mark you, not lent.

11 mark time

a) informal to spend time not doing very much except waiting for something else to happen: I was just marking time until a better job came up.

b) if soldiers mark time, they move their legs as if they were marching, but remain in the same place

12 mark sb present/absent to write on an official list that someone is there or not there, especially in school

—see also: marked mark sb/sth down phrasal verb (T)

1 to write something down, especially in order to keep a record: Mark down everything you eat on your daily chart. | mark sb down as absent/present: The teacher marked him down as absent.

2 to reduce the price of items that are being sold: Winter coats have been marked down from $80 to $50.

3 to form an opinion about someone when you first meet them: mark sb down as sth: When I first saw Gilbert play I marked him down as a future England player.

4 to give someone a lower result in a test or exam because of something they have done wrong: Write neatly as you can be marked down if your paper looks messy.

mark sb/sth off phrasal verb (T)

1 to make an area separate by drawing a line around it, putting a rope around it etc: The competitors' arena had been marked off with cones.

2 to make a person, period of time etc seem different from others: Sara's natural flair for languages marked her off from the other students.

3 to make a mark on a list to show that something has been done or completed: I've marked off all the places we've already tried.

mark sb/sth out phrasal verb (T)

1 to show the shape or position of something by drawing lines around it: A volleyball court had been marked out on the grass.

2 to make someone or something seem very different from or much better than other people or things: mark sb out as sth: His efficient manner marked him out as a professional. | mark sb out for sth: She seemed marked out for success.

mark sb/sth up phrasal verb (T)

1 to increase the price of something, so that you sell it for more than you paid for it: Compact disks may be marked up as much as %.

—see also: mark­up

2 to write notes or instructions on a piece of writing, music etc: Someone had already marked up the alto part.

2 noun

1 DIRT (C) a spot or small area on a surface, piece of clothing etc which is darker or dirtier than the rest and spoils its appearance: I can't get these marks out of my T-shirt. | His feet left dirty marks all over the floor. | finger marks: There were finger marks smeared on the window.

2 DAMAGE (C) a cut, hole, or other small sign of damage: a burn mark on the kitchen table | bite mark/scratch mark etc: Her teeth left bite marks in the apple.

3 COLOURED AREA (C) a small area of darker or lighter colour on a plain surface such as a person's skin or an animal's fur: The kitten is mainly white with black marks on her back.

—see also: birthmark

4 SIGN (C) a shape or sign that is written or printed: What do those strange marks at the top mean? | question mark/punctuation mark etc: Her letter was full of exclamation marks.

5 STUDENT'S WORK (C) especially BrE a letter or number given by a teacher to show what standard a piece of work is; grade 1 (5) AmE: The highest mark was a B+. | Her marks have been a lot lower this term. | pass mark (=the mark you needed in order to pass an exam): The pass mark was 50%. | full marks (=the highest possible mark)

6 full marks for effort/trying etc BrE used to praise someone for trying hard to do something, even though they did not succeed

7 mark 2/6 etc

a) a particular type of a car, machine etc: The Mark 4 gun is much more powerful than the old Mark .

b) BrE a measurement of the temperature of a gas oven: Cook for 40 minutes at gas mark 6.

8 MONEY (C) the standard unit of money in Germany

9 a mark of a sign that something is true or exists: She was carrying bags full of toys and clothes - the mark of a mother on the run. | a mark of respect: There was a 2-minute silence as a mark of respect for the dead.

10 hit/miss the mark

a) to hit or miss the thing that you were shooting at

b) to succeed or fail to have the effect you wanted: His jibe had evidently hit the mark, for she laughed a little awkwardly.

11 off the mark/wide of the mark not correct; inaccurate: Our cost estimate was way off the mark.

12 make your mark to become successful or famous: Wilkins was quick to make his mark, scoring the touchdown.

(+ on): Margaret Thatcher made an unforgettable mark on British politics.

13 leave its/their mark on to have an effect on someone or something that changes them in a permanent or very noticeable way: The years of hardship and poverty had left their mark on her.

14 not up to the mark BrE

a) not good enough: Her work just isn't up to the mark.

b) old-fashioned not well and healthy: I'm not feeling quite up to the mark today.

15 be quick/slow off the mark informal to be quick or slow to understand things or react to situations

16 reach the 60 second/two-mile/-20 etc mark to reach a particular time, distance, or amount: Membership is approaching the two million mark.

17 the halfway mark the point in a race, journey, or event that is half way between the start and the finish

18 on your marks, get set, go! spoken used to start a race

19 SIGNATURE (C) old use a sign in the form of a cross, used by someone who is not able to write their name

20 CRIME (C) AmE someone that a criminal has decided to steal from or trick

—see also: exclamation mark, overstep the mark overstep (2), punctuation mark, question mark, quotation mark, speech marks