Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - mark

~1 v 1 »MAKE A MARK« 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« 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« to celebrate an important event  (a festival to mark the town's th anniversary) 4 »SHOW A CHANGE« 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« especially BrE to read a piece of written work and put a number or letter on it to show what standard it is; grade1 (5) AmE  (I've got a pile of exam papers to mark.) 7 »WRITE ON STH« 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« 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 phr v 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 phr v 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 phr v 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 phr v 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 n 1 »DIRT« 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« 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« 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« 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« especially BrE a letter or number given by a teacher to show what standard a piece of work is; grade1 (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« 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« old use a sign in the form of a cross, used by someone who is not able to write their name 20 »CRIME« 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)