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mark

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: Mark, Márk, and märk

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English mark, merk, merke, from Old English mearc (“mark, sign, line of division; standard; boundary, limit, term, border; defined area, district, province”), from Proto-West Germanic *marku, from Proto-Germanic *markō (“boundary; boundary marker”), from Proto-Indo-European *mórǵs (“edge, boundary, border”).

Compare march.

Cognates

Noun

mark (plural marks)

  1. (heading) Boundary, land within a boundary.
    1. (obsolete) A boundary; a border or frontier. [9th–19th c.]
    2. (obsolete) A boundary-post or fence. [13th–18th c.]
    3. A stone or post used to indicate position and guide travellers. [from 14th c.]
      • 1859, Henry Bull, A history, military and municipal, of the ancient borough of the Devizes:
        I do remember a great thron in Yatton field near Bristow-way, against which Sir William Waller's men made a great fire and killed it. I think the stump remains, and was a mark for travellers.
    4. (archaic) A type of small region or principality. [from 18th c.]
      • 1954, J R R Tolkien, The Two Towers:
        There dwells Théoden son of Thengel, King of the Mark of Rohan.
    5. (historical) A common, or area of common land, especially among early Germanic peoples. [from 19th c.]
  2. (heading) Characteristic, sign, visible impression.
    1. An omen; a symptomatic indicator of something. [from 8th c.]
      • 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
        depend upon it, you will speedily receive from me a letter of thanks for this as well as for every other mark of your regard during my stay in Hertfordshire.
    2. A characteristic feature. [from 16th c.]
      A good sense of manners is the mark of a true gentleman.
      • 1642, [Thomas Browne], “(please specify the page)”, in Religio Medici, London: […] Andrew Crooke, →OCLC:
        there is surely a physiognomy, which those experienced and master mendicants observe, whereby they instantly discover a merciful aspect, and will single out a face, wherein they spy the signatures and marks of mercy.
    4. A visible impression or sign; a blemish, scratch, or stain, whether accidental or intentional. [from 9th c.]
    5. A sign or brand on a person. [from 10th c.]
      • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “III.iv.2.6”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
        Doubt not of thine election, it is an immutable decree; a mark never to be defaced: you have been otherwise, you may and shall be.
    6. A written character or sign. [from 10th c.]
      The font wasn't able to render all the diacritical marks properly.
    7. A stamp or other indication of provenance, quality etc. [from 11th c.]
      With eggs, you need to check for the quality mark before you buy.
    8. (obsolete) Resemblance, likeness, image. [14th–16th c.]
    9. A particular design or make of an item (now usually with following numeral). [from 15th c.]
      I am proud to present my patented travelator, mark two.
    10. (India, UK) A score for finding the correct answer, or other academic achievement; the sum of such points gained as out of a possible total. [from 19th c.]
      What mark did you get in your history test?
  3. (heading) Indicator of position, objective etc.
    1. A target for shooting at with a projectile. [from 13th c.]
      • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
        , II.1:
        A skilfull archer ought first to know the marke he aimeth at, and then apply his hand, his bow, his string, his arrow and his motion accordingly.
      • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 37:
        To give them an accurate eye and strength of arm, none under twenty-four years of age might shoot at any standing mark, except it was for a rover, and then he was to change his mark at every shot; and no person above that age might shoot at any mark whose distance was less than eleven score yards.
    2. An indication or sign used for reference or measurement. [from 14th c.]
      I filled the bottle up to the 500ml mark.
    4. (informal) The target or intended victim of a swindle, fixed game or con game; a gullible person; a professional wrestling fan who believes matches are legitimate contests rather than scripted or predetermined [from 18th c.]
      • 2009, Michael Benson, Cons and Frauds, Infobase, →ISBN, page 21:
        Another common form of short con is the shell game. This scam has the advantage of giving the criminal the ability to rip off many marks all at one location.
      • 2020 June 23, John Bolton, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 313:
        [Xi Jinping] asked for Trump's personal attention to the issue, probably figuring he had identified his mark and wasn't going to let him get away.
      • 2022 December 11, Mike White, “Arrivederci”, in Mike White, director, The White Lotus, season 2, episode 7, via HBO:
        Dominic Di Grasso (Michael Imperioli): How are you gonna make it in life if you're this big a mark?
        Albie Di Grasso (Adam DiMarco): I'm not a mark.
    5. (obsolete) The female genitals. [16th–18th c.]
      • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
        A mark saies my Lady. Let the mark haue a prick in't, to meate at, if it may be.
      • 1749, [John Cleland], “(Please specify the letter or volume)”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC:
        her thighs were still spread, and the mark lay fair for him, who, now kneeling between them, displayed to us a side-view of that fierce erect machine of his […].
    6. (Rugby football, Australian rules football) A catch of the ball directly from a kick of 10 metres or more without having been touched in transit, resulting in a free kick. [from 19th c.]
    7. (sports) The line indicating an athlete's starting-point. [from 19th c.]
    8. A score for a sporting achievement. [from 20th c.]
    9. An official note that is added to a record kept about someone's behavior or performance.
      • 1871, Chicago Board of Education, Annual Report, volume 17, page 102:
        A mark for tardiness or for absence is considered by most pupils a disgrace, and strenuous efforts are made to avoid such a mark.
    10. (cooking) A specified level on a scale denoting gas-powered oven temperatures. [from 20th c.]
      Now put the pastry in at 450 degrees, or mark 8.
    11. (product design/engineering) The model number of a device; a device model.
      The Mark I system had poor radar, and the Mark II was too expensive; regardless, most antiaircraft direction remained the responsibility of the Mark I Eyeball (as the jocular phrase calls it): that is, the operator's eye.
    12. Limit or standard of action or fact.
      to be within the mark
      to come up to the mark
    13. Badge or sign of honour, rank, or official station.
      • 1605, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus:
        In the official marks invested, you / Anon do meet the Senate.
    14. (archaic) Preeminence; high position.
      patricians of mark
      a fellow of no mark
    15. (logic) A characteristic or essential attribute; a differential.
    16. (nautical) One of the bits of leather or coloured bunting placed upon a sounding line at intervals of from two to five fathoms. (The unmarked fathoms are called "deeps".)
  4. (heading) Attention.
    • 1604, William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure:
      But faults so countenanced, that the strong statutes Stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop, as much in mock as mark
    1. (archaic) Attention, notice. [from 15th c.]
      His last comment is particularly worthy of mark.
    2. Importance, noteworthiness. (Generally in postmodifier “of mark”.) [from 16th c.]
      • 1909, Richard Burton, Masters of the English Novel:
        in the short story of western flavor he was a pioneer of mark, the founder of a genre: probably no other writer is so significant in his field.
    3. (obsolete) Regard; respect.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Descendants
  • → Bengali: মার্কা (marka)
  • → Cantonese: 嘜 / 唛 (mak1, maak1)
  • → Shanghainese: 麥克麥克 / 麦克麦克 (8maq-kheq7-maq8-kheq7)
  • → Japanese: マーク (māku)
  • → Korean: 마크 (makeu)
  • → Tamil: மார்க் (mārk)
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

mark (third-person singular simple present marks, present participle marking, simple past and past participle marked)

  1. To put a mark on (something); to make (something) recognizable by a mark; to label or write on (something).
    to mark a box or bale of merchandise
    to mark clothing with one's name
  2. To leave a mark (often an undesirable or unwanted one) on (something).
    Synonyms: blemish, scar, scratch, stain
    See where this pencil has marked the paper.
    The floor was marked with wine and blood.
    • 1717, Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer‎, London: Bernard Lintott, Volume 3, Book 12, p. 229:
      Those Wheels returning ne’er shall mark the Plain;
    • 1855, Frederick Douglass, “speech given on 12 May, 1846. Appendix.”, in My Bondage and My Freedom. […], New York; Auburn, N.Y.: Miller, Orton & Mulligan […], →OCLC, part II (Life as a Freeman), page 410:
      Advertisements are from time to time inserted, stating that slaves have escaped […] marked with the lash, branded with red-hot irons, the initials of their master’s name burned into their flesh;
  3. (figurative) To have a long-lasting negative impact on (someone or something).
    • 1939, John Steinbeck, chapter 10, in The Grapes of Wrath‎, Penguin, published 1976, page 104:
      The death of his wife, followed by months of being alone, had marked him with guilt and shame and had left an unbreaking loneliness on him.
    • 1998, Octavia Butler, Parable of the Talents‎, New York: Seven Stories Press, page 279:
      What Uncle Marc had been through as a slave marked him, I’m sure, but I don’t know how much. How can you know what a man would be like if he had grown up unmarked by horror?
    • 2013 June 7, Joseph Stiglitz, “Globalisation is about taxes too”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 19:
      It is time the international community faced the reality: we have an unmanageable, unfair, distortionary global tax regime. It is a tax system that is pivotal in creating the increasing inequality that marks most advanced countries today […].
  4. To create an indication of (a location).
    She folded over the corner of the page to mark where she left off reading.
    Some animals mark their territory by urinating.
  5. To be an indication of (something); to show where (something) is located.
    Synonyms: demonstrate, indicate, manifest, reveal, show, signal
    This monument marks the spot where Wolfe died.
    A bell marked the end of visiting hours.
  6. To indicate (something) in writing or by other symbols.
    Synonyms: display, show, write
    Prices are marked on individual items.
    In her Bible, the words of Christ were marked in red.
  7. To create (a mark) on a surface.
    Synonyms: draw, trace
  8. To celebrate or acknowledge (an event) through an action of some kind.
    Synonyms: commemorate, solemnize
    The national holiday is marked by fireworks.
  9. (of things) To identify (someone as a particular type of person or as having a particular role).
    His courage and energy marked him as a leader.
    • 1815, Jane Austen, chapter 8, in Emma‎, volume 2, London: John Murray, page 134:
      […] the son approached her with a cheerful eagerness which marked her as his peculiar object,
    • 1901, Rudyard Kipling, chapter 5, in Kim‎, London: Macmillan, published 1902, page 115:
      The black dress, gold cross on the watch-chain, the hairless face, and the soft, black wideawake hat would have marked him as a holy man anywhere in all India.
    • 1968, Bessie Head, chapter 1, in When Rain Clouds Gather‎, Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, published 2013, page 1:
      His long thin falling-away cheekbones marked him as a member of either the Xhosa or Zulu tribe.
    • 2016, Julian Barnes, The Noise of Time‎, Random House, Prologue:
      Enquiring about the movement of trains—even if you were a passenger on one—could mark you as a saboteur.
  10. (of people) To assign (someone) to a particular category or class.
    Synonyms: classify, mark out
    • 1951, Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny‎, Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Part 2, Chapter 10, p. 113:
      The new captain would read the fitness report and mark him once and for all as an unreliable fool […]
  11. (of people) To choose or intend (someone) for a particular end or purpose.
    Synonyms: destine, mark out, target
  12. To be a point in time or space at which something takes place; to accompany or be accompanied by (an event, action, etc.); to coincide with.
    Synonyms: represent, see
    The creek marks the boundary between the two farms.
    That summer marked the beginning of her obsession with cycling.
  13. To be typical or characteristic of (something).
    Synonyms: characterize, typify
  14. To distinguish (one person or thing from another).
    • 1823 July 15, [Lord Byron], Don Juan. Cantos VI.—VII.—and VIII., London: […] [C. H. Reynell] for John Hunt, […], →OCLC, canto VIII, stanza 130, page 313:
      Indeed the smoke was such they scarce could mark
      Their friends from foes,
    • 1943, Maurice Bowra, chapter 1, in The Heritage of Symbolism‎, London: Macmillan, published 1954, page 2:
      Despite their obvious differences these poets had a common view of life which marks them from their predecessors […]
    • 1983, Elizabeth George Speare, chapter 24, in The Sign of the Beaver,‎, New York: Dell, published 1984, page 127:
      Each day was so like the day before, and Christmas Day, when it came, would not have anything to mark it from all the others.
  15. (dated except in the phrase "mark my words") To focus one's attention on (something or someone); to pay attention to, to take note of.
    Synonyms: heed, look at, observe, watch
    Mark my words: that boy’s up to no good.
  16. (dated) To become aware of (something) through the physical senses.
    Synonyms: hear, note, notice, observe, perceive, see
    • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, (please specify |part=I to IV), page 161:
      Some of them [the Animals] coming forward near the place where I lay, gave me an opportunity of distinctly marking their Form.
    • 1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, chapter 53, in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 525:
      He bent his eyes involuntarily upon the father as he spoke, and marked his uneasiness, for he coloured directly and turned his head away.
    • 1881, John Bascom, “Improvements in Language” in The Western: A Journal of Literature, Education, and Art, New Series, Volume 7, No. 6, December, 1881, p. 499,
      […] it is to be remembered that a poor speller is a poor pronouncer. The ear does not mark the sound any more exactly than the eye marks the letters.
    • 1955, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of the King‎, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, published 1965, Appendix A, pp. 347-348:
      Helm had a great horn, and soon it was marked that before he sallied forth he would blow a blast upon it that echoed in the Deep;
  17. To hold (someone) in one's line of sight.
    • 1956, Mary Renault, chapter 22, in The Last of the Wine‎, New York: Pantheon, page 268:
      I marked my man, standing on the catwalk, and waited to throw [my javelin] till he started to climb inboard before they rammed.
  18. (Canada, UK) To indicate the correctness of and give a score to (a school assignment, exam answers, etc.).
    Synonyms: grade, score
    The teacher had to spend her weekend marking all the tests.
    • 2024 May 15, 'Industry Insider', “Labour's plan for the railway”, in RAIL, number 1009, page 68:
      Under the proposals, an assurance is given that GBR (in the words of the plan) will not be marking its own homework.
  19. To record that (someone) has a particular status.
    to mark a student absent.
  20. (transitive, intransitive) To keep account of; to enumerate and register; to keep score.
    to mark the points in a game of billiards or a card game
    • 1869, Mark Twain, chapter 12, in The Innocents Abroad‎, Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company, page 116:
      Dan was to mark while the doctor and I played [billiards].
  22. (sports) To follow a player not in possession of the ball when defending, to prevent them receiving a pass easily.
  23. (Australian rules football) To catch the ball directly from a kick of 15 metres or more without having been touched in transit, resulting in a free kick.
  24. (golf) To put a marker in the place of one's ball.
  25. (singing) To sing softly, sometimes an octave lower than usual, in order to protect one's voice during a rehearsal.
Derived terms
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Etymology 2

    From Middle English mark, from Old English marc (“a denomination of weight (usu. half a pound), mark (money of account)”), from Proto-West Germanic *mark, from Proto-Germanic *marką (“mark, sign”). Cognate with Dutch mark (“mark”), Swedish mark (“a stamped coin”), Icelandic mörk (“a weight, usu. a pound, of silver or gold”). Doublet of markka.

    Noun

    mark (plural marks)

    1. (historical) A half pound, a traditional unit of mass equivalent to 226.8 g.
    2. (historical) Similar half-pound units in other measurement systems, chiefly used for gold and silver.
      • 1997, “Egil's Saga”, in Bernard Scudder, transl., The Sagas of Icelanders, Penguin, published 2001, page 91:
        As a reward for his poetry, Athelstan gave Egil two more gold rings weighing a mark each, along with an expensive cloak that the king himself had worn.
    3. (historical) A half pound, a former English and Scottish currency equivalent to 13 shillings and fourpence and notionally equivalent to a mark of sterling silver.
      • 1824, James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, Oxford, published 2010, page 42:
        George, on receiving it, instantly rose from the side of one of them, and said, in the hearing of them all, ‘I will bet a hundred merks that is Drummond.’
      • 2011, Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin, published 2012, page 167:
        He had been made a royal counsellor, drawing a substantial annual salary of a hundred marks.
    4. (historical) Other similar currencies notionally equal to a mark of silver or gold.
    Synonyms
    • (Spanish unit of mass): marco, Spanish mark
    • (Portuguese unit of mass): marco, Portuguese mark
    Derived terms
    Translations

    Etymology 3

    From German Mark, from Middle High German marc, marche, marke, from Old High German marc, from Proto-West Germanic *mark (whence etymology 2 via Old English marc). The identical plural is also from German.

    Noun

    mark (plural mark or marks)

    1. (historical) A former currency of Germany and West Germany.
      • 1928 November, “Reviews”, in The Occult Review, volume XLVIII, number 5, London: Rider & Co., page 356:
        Aus der Geschichte der menschlichen Dummheit. By Dr. Max Kemmerich. Price 3 mark 50 pfennige. Bavaria: Verlag Albert Langen, Munich.
    Synonyms
    Coordinate terms
    Derived terms

    Etymology 4

    An alternative form supposedly easier to pronounce while giving commands.

    Verb

    mark

    1. (imperative, marching) Alternative form of march.
      Mark time, mark!
      Forward, mark!

    Anagrams

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    Afrikaans

    Etymology

    From Dutch markt.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    mark (plural markte or marke)

    1. market

    Danish

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /mark/, [ˈmɑːɡ̊]

    Etymology 1

    From Old Norse mǫrk (“wilderness”), from Proto-Germanic *markō (“border, marker”), cognate with German Mark f (“border land, marches”).

    Noun

    mark c (singular definite marken, plural indefinite marker)

    1. field (wide, open space used to grow crops or to hold farm animals)
      Synonym: ager
    Declension
    More information common gender, singular ...
    See also
    • eng (“meadow, uncultivated open space”)

    Further reading

    Etymology 2

    From Old Norse mǫrk, from Proto-Germanic *markō (“border, marker”), cognate with German Mark f (currency), originally the same word as the previous one.

    Noun

    mark c (singular definite marken, plural indefinite mark)

    1. (historical) mark (unit of currency, in Denmark from the Middle Ages until 1875, in Germany and Finland until 2002)
    2. (historical) mark (unit of weight, especially of precious metals, equivalent to half a pound or 8 ounces)
    Declension
    More information common gender, singular ...
    Derived terms

    Further reading

    Dutch

    Etymology

    From Middle Dutch marke, from Old Dutch [Term?]. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    mark f (plural marken, no diminutive)

    1. (chiefly historical) a march, a mark (border region)

    Derived terms

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    Estonian

    Etymology 1

    From German Marke.

    Noun

    mark (genitive margi, partitive marki)

    1. mark (a sign or brand)
    2. tally mark
    3. stamp (postage stamp)
    Declension
    More information Declension of (ÕS type 22e/riik, k-g gradation), singular ...

    Etymology 2

    From Proto-Finnic *markka, from Proto-Germanic *marką.

    Noun

    mark (genitive marga, partitive marka)

    1. mark (currency)
    Declension
    More information Declension of (ÕS type 22e/riik, k-g gradation), singular ...
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    Faroese

    Noun

    mark f (genitive singular markar, plural markir)

    1. (kvæði) forest
      Synonyms: mørk, skógur
    2. (in phrases) pasture
      Synonym: hagi
    3. (biblical) field
      Synonym: bøur

    Declension

    More information f2, singular ...

    Noun

    mark n (genitive singular marks, plural mørk)

    1. sign
      Synonym: merki
    2. border, frontier

    Declension

    More information n3, singular ...
    More information n5, singular ...
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    French

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    mark m (plural marks)

    1. mark (currency)

    Further reading

    Icelandic

    Etymology

    From Old Norse mark, from Proto-Germanic *marką.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    mark n (genitive singular marks, nominative plural mörk)

    1. sign, mark
    2. target, aim, mark
    3. (sports) goal
    4. (numismatics) mark

    Declension

    More information singular, plural ...

    Derived terms

    See also

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    Norwegian Bokmål

    Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia no

    Etymology 1

    From Old Norse maðkr.

    Alternative forms

    Noun

    mark m (definite singular marken, indefinite plural marker, definite plural markene)

    1. a worm (invertebrate)

    Etymology 2

    From Old Norse mǫrk.

    Noun

    mark f or m (definite singular marka or marken, indefinite plural marker, definite plural markene)

    1. land, ground, field
    Derived terms

    References

    Norwegian Nynorsk

    Pronunciation

    Etymology 1

    From Old Norse mǫrk.

    Alternative forms

    Noun

    mark f (definite singular marka, indefinite plural marker, definite plural markene)

    1. land, field
    2. terrain
    3. ground
    4. (historical) march
    Derived terms

    Etymology 2

    From Old Norse mǫrk.

    Alternative forms

    Noun

    mark f (definite singular marka, indefinite plural merker or (currency) mark, definite plural merker)

    1. a unit of measure equivalent to 250 grams
    2. (numismatics, historical) a mark
      det kosta 50 mark ― it cost 50 marks
      1. any of various European monetary units, including in Finland (1861-1999) and Germany (1948-1999)
      2. (numismatics, historical) an old Norwegian coin
        1. (in the middle ages) a coin worth 8 øre
        2. (19th century) a coin worth 24 shillings or 1/5 taler
          Synonym: ort
    3. (historical) a Norwegian unit used to measure the taxability of property
    Usage notes
    • The indefinite plural is usually merker, but in the sense of a unit of currency, mark might be used instead.
    Derived terms

    Etymology 3

    Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia nn

    From Old Norse maðkr.

    Alternative forms

    Noun

    mark m (definite singular marken, indefinite plural markar, definite plural markane)

    1. a worm (invertebrate)
    Derived terms
    • agnmark
    • beitemark
    • bendelmark
    • bringebærmark
    • børstemark
    • fjøremark
    • flatmark
    • innvolsmark
    • jordmark
    • kjølmark
    • klåmark
    • kålmark
    • latmark
    • leddmark
    • leiremark
    • markefluge
    • markemjøl
    • markhol
    • meitemark
    • rundmark
    • sandmark
    • slimmark
    • spolmark

    Etymology 4

    From Old Norse mark n.

    Noun

    mark n (definite singular market, indefinite plural mark, definite plural marka)

    1. a mark
    Derived terms
    • svalemark

    References

    Anagrams

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    Old Swedish

    Etymology

    From Old Norse mǫrk, from Proto-Germanic *markō.

    Noun

    mark f

    1. woodland
    2. field

    Declension

    More information masculine, singular ...

    Descendants

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    Swedish

    Etymology

    From Old Swedish mark, from Old Norse mǫrk, from Proto-Germanic *markō, from Proto-Indo-European *mórǵs (“edge, boundary, border”). Cognate with Latin margo (“border, edge”), Old Irish mruig, bruig (“border, march”).

    Pronunciation

    • (singular)
    • (plural)
      • IPA(key): (gambling sense) /ˈmarkɛr/
      • IPA(key): (other senses) /ˈmarˌkɛr/

    Noun

    mark c

    1. (uncountable) ground (surface of the Earth (or some other planet, etc.), or the area (immediately) beneath it)
      Synonym: (less general) backe
      Fåglar gillar att flyga, men ibland går de omkring på marken.
      Birds like to fly, but sometimes they walk around on the ground.
      Han lade sig platt på marken. ― He lay down flat on the ground.
      Hon kastade sig till marken. ― She threw herself to the ground.
      löv som faller till marken ― leaves falling to the ground
      Tjuren frustade och stampade i marken. ― The bull snorted and stomped the ground.
      Hon studsade bollen i marken. ― She bounced the ball on the ground.
      Helikoptern tog mark och fattade eld. ― The helicopter hit the ground and caught fire.
      gräva ett hål i marken med en spade ― dig a hole in the ground with a shovel
      Grävlingar gräver tunnlar i marken. ― Badgers dig tunnels in the ground.
      ha fast mark under fötterna
      be on terra firma
      (literally, “have solid ground under one's feet”)
    2. land, ground (area of ground)
      Bonden ägde mycket mark. ― The farmer owned a lot of land.
      Nisse äger marken på andra sidan sjön.
      Nisse owns the land on the other side of the lake.
      kommunens mark ― the land belonging to the municipality
      privat mark ― private land
      våtmarker ― wetlands
      betesmark ― pasture (literally, “grazing land”)
      minerad mark ― mined land
      Styrkorna har vunnit mark. ― The forces have gained ground.
      vara tillbaka på klassisk mark ― be back on classic ground
      1. soil (land belonging to someone, when idiomatic in English)
        vara på brittisk mark ― be on British soil
      2. territory
        Synonym: (except sometimes less idiomatic) territorium
        vara på okänd mark ― be in uncharted territory
      4. (often in the plural) land in its natural state, wild land
        ströva omkring i markerna (for example) ― roam the countryside
        Det är torrt i markerna. (focusing on wild areas like forests, etc.)
        There are dry conditions.
        (literally, “It is dry in the lands.”)
        vara ute i skog och mark
        be out in the woods and fields
        (literally, “be out in the forest and (wild) land”)
        • 1996, Drängarna [The Farmhands], “Kung över ängarna [King of [over] the Meadows]”, in Fint vettö [Nice Y'know]‎:
          Jag lägger mig i gräset ner. Ligger still och bara ler. Slumrar till och snarkar tyst. Drömmer om en kvinnas byst. Då ser jag nån som emot mig går, liderlig med utsläppt hår. Hon är vacker som en dag. I samma stund så vaknar jag. Svär [bit hard to make out the S] ett tag men tänker sen: Hon kommer nog till mig inatt igen. Ännu lyser solen stark i skog och mark.
          I lie down in the grass ["Jag lägger mig ner i gräset" is the usual word order. Ner (“down”) can be skipped]. [I] lie still and just grin [or smile]. [I] doze off and snore quietly. [I] dream of a woman's bosom. Then I see someone walking towards me ["Då ser jag nån som går emot mig" is the usual word order], lustful [in an unrestrained manner – old-fashioned – often used to imply "lecherous," but also more generally] with her hair let down [with out-released hair]. She is pretty as a picture ["beautiful as a day" – idiom]. At that moment [in the same moment] I wake up. [I] swear for a bit but then [I] think: She will probably come to me tonight again ["Igen inatt" is a more common word order in Swedish as well]. The sun still shines bright ["yet shines (V2 word order) the sun strong" – could be translated as "still the sun shines bright" to match, but sounds less awkward in Swedish] in woods and fields ["forest and land" – idiomatic]. [Could also be put in the present continuous. Matches the intuition in Swedish with the [I]s. See the usage notes for -r.]
    3. ground (distance, etc., similar to English – sometimes figuratively)
      Löparen tappade mark på sista varvet. ― The runner lost ground on the last lap.
      Partiet har vunnit mark. ― The party has gained ground.
    4. (historical) mark (currency)
    5. (historical) mark (unit of weight)
    6. (gambling) counter, marker

    Declension

    More information nominative, genitive ...

    Derived terms

    • ta mark (“touch down, hit the ground”)

    See also

    References

    Anagrams

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