mark

The word “mark” means a visible line, spot, or impression left on a surface. In plain terms, a visible sign or trace, a grade for work, a target, or (historically) German money — the exact sense depends heavily on context.

“Mark” is pronounced mahk (/mɑɹk/ in IPA).

Here is “mark” used in a sentence: “There was a scuff mark on the wall from the moving boxes.”

Words with a similar meaning to “mark” include observance.

Depending on how it is used, “mark” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “mark” comes from Old English. From Old English mearc, meaning "boundary" or "sign" — the same ancient root that gives us "march" (a border region).

“Mark” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Mark” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a visible line, spot, or impression left on a surface.

A mark is any visible line, spot, or impression on a surface — it can be light, temporary, or easily removed. A stain is a specific kind of mark caused by a liquid or substance soaking in, usually discolouring the surface and hard to remove. Every stain is a mark, but not every mark is a stain.

Marks come in many forms: spots, dots, lines, streaks, smudges, scratches, scuffs, blots, and stains. They may be made deliberately, like a pencil mark or a tick, or accidentally, like a scuff on a floor. The word covers almost any small visible change to a surface, whether it adds something or damages it.

A scuff left by a shoe on a floor is a mark, as is a fingerprint on glass, a pen line on paper, or a ring left by a wet cup on a table. Each is a visible line, spot, or impression on a surface — the core meaning of the word.