marker

noun

mark·​er ˈmär-kər How to pronounce marker (audio)
1
: one that marks
2
: something used for marking: such as
a
: a type of felt tip pen that makes wide lines
drew a tree with green and brown markers
used a permanent marker to label the boxes
b
: any of various sewing devices for making or indicating guidelines
a pin marker for hemlines
3
: score sense 7
specifically : run
4
5
: something that serves to identify, predict, or characterize: such as
a

Examples of marker in a Sentence

A person's accent can be a marker of social class. the markers on the rock and mineral specimens were old and faded
Recent Examples on the Web Last May, Drake posted a drawing his son made of Ball using markers to social media. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 One of its most visible markers is the World Peace Rose Garden. Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 In the photo, Aire drew on white paper with various colored markers, including some yellows, greens and oranges. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 The clock face features hands that are partially both brushed and polished, plus 12 hour markers that are 0.1 mm thick and are painted by hand using a camera with 100x magnification. Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 A day-date window set on the 12 o’ clock hour marker is another standout feature, alongside a day/night indication and the brand’s name displayed at its center. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024 This requires players to toss a marker so that the planes or ship know where to cause mass destruction. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 All Washington can do is lay down its own markers, including open recognition of a Palestinian state and a clear warning to Israel that its rejectionism will do significant damage to bilateral relations. Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2024 In 2023, Stitt signed a bill prohibiting nonbinary gender markers on state birth certificates. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of marker was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near marker

Cite this Entry

“Marker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marker. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

marker

noun
mark·​er ˈmär-kər How to pronounce marker (audio)
1
: one that marks
2
: something used for marking

Medical Definition

marker

noun
mark·​er ˈmär-kər How to pronounce marker (audio)
: something that serves to identify, predict, or characterize
a surface marker on a cell that acts as an antigen
: as
a
: biomarker
The recent discovery of a serological marker for the hepatitis C virus has greatly improved diagnostic accuracy for this form of hepatitis.Gary P. Wormser, letter in The Journal of the American Medical Association
b
: genetic marker
The idea in genetic linkage analysis is to see if any particular marker, which serves as a signpost for a specific region of a chromosome, is consistently inherited along with the disease …Leslie Roberts, Science

called also marker gene

More from Merriam-Webster on marker

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