Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - mark

(marks, marking, marked) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. A mark is a small area of something such as dirt that has accidentally got onto a surface or piece of clothing. The dogs are always rubbing against the wall and making dirty marks... A properly fitting bra should never leave red marks. N-COUNT 2. If something marks a surface, or if the surface marks, the surface is damaged by marks or a mark. Leather overshoes were put on the horses’ hooves to stop them marking the turf... I have to be more careful with the work tops, as wood marks easily. VERB: V n, V 3. A mark is a written or printed symbol, for example a letter of the alphabet. He made marks with a pencil. N-COUNT 4. If you mark something with a particular word or symbol, you write that word or symbol on it. The bank marks the check ‘certified’... Mark the frame with your postcode... For more details about these products, send a postcard marked HB/FF. VERB: V n quote, V n with n, V-ed 5. A mark is a point that is given for a correct answer or for doing something well in an exam or competition. A mark can also be a written symbol such as a letter that indicates how good a student’s or competitor’s work or performance is. ...a simple scoring device of marks out of 10, where ‘1’ equates to ‘Very poor performance’... He did well to get such a good mark. N-COUNT: oft supp N 6. If someone gets good or high marks for doing something, they have done it well. If they get poor or low marks, they have done it badly. You have to give her top marks for moral guts... His administration has earned low marks for its economic policies. N-PLURAL: supp N 7. When a teacher marks a student’s work, the teacher decides how good it is and writes a number or letter on it to indicate this opinion. He was marking essays in his small study. VERB: V n • marking For the rest of the lunchbreak I do my marking. N-UNCOUNT 8. A particular mark is a particular number, point, or stage which has been reached or might be reached, especially a significant one. Unemployment is rapidly approaching the one million mark. N-COUNT: usu the supp N 9. The mark of something is the characteristic feature that enables you to recognize it. The mark of a civilized society is that it looks after its weakest members. = sign N-COUNT: N of n/-ing 10. If you say that a type of behaviour or an event is a mark of a particular quality, feeling, or situation, you mean it shows that that quality, feeling, or situation exists. It was a mark of his unfamiliarity with Hollywood that he didn’t understand that an agent was paid out of his client’s share... = indication, sign N-SING: a N of n 11. If something marks a place or position, it shows where something else is or where it used to be. A huge crater marks the spot where the explosion happened. VERB: V n 12. An event that marks a particular stage or point is a sign that something different is about to happen. The announcement marks the end of an extraordinary period in European history... VERB: V n 13. If you do something to mark an event or occasion, you do it to show that you are aware of the importance of the event or occasion. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to mark the occasion. VERB: V n 14. Something that marks someone as a particular type of person indicates that they are that type of person. Her opposition to abortion and feminism mark her as a convinced traditionalist. VERB: V n as n 15. In a team game, when a defender is marking an attacker, they are trying to stay close to the attacker and prevent them from getting the ball. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use guard, cover) ...Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who so effectively marked Michael Owen. VERB: V n • marking They had stopped Ecuador from building up attacks with good marking. N-UNCOUNT 16. The mark was the unit of money that was used in Germany. In 2002 it was replaced by the euro. The government gave 30 million marks for new school books. N-COUNT: usu num N • The mark was also used to refer to the German currency system. The mark appreciated 12 per cent against the dollar. N-SING: the N 17. Mark is used before a number to indicate a particular temperature level in a gas oven. (BRIT) Set the oven at gas mark 4. N-UNCOUNT: N num 18. Mark is used before a number to indicate a particular version or model of a vehicle, machine, or device. ...his Mark II Ford Cortina. N-UNCOUNT: N num 19. see also marked, marking, black mark, check mark, exclamation mark, full marks, high-water mark, punctuation mark, question mark, scuff mark, stretch marks 20. If someone or something leaves their mark or leaves a mark, they have a lasting effect on another person or thing. Years of conditioning had left their mark on her, and she never felt inclined to talk to strange men. PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR on n 21. If you make your mark or make a mark, you become noticed or famous by doing something impressive or unusual. She made her mark in the film industry in the 1960s. PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR on/in n 22. If you are quick off the mark, you are quick to understand or respond to something. If you are slow off the mark, you are slow to understand or respond to something. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR 23. On your marks in British English, or on your mark in American English, is a command given to runners at the beginning of a race in order to get them into the correct position to start. On your marks–get set–go! CONVENTION 24. If something is off the mark, it is inaccurate or incorrect. If it is on the mark, it is accurate or correct. Robinson didn’t think the story was so far off the mark... PHRASE: usu v-link PHR 25. If something such as a claim or estimate is wide of the mark, it is incorrect or inaccurate. That comparison isn’t as wide of the mark as it seems. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR 26. to overstep the mark: see overstep