marker

noun

mark·​er ˈmär-kər 

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

: promissory note, iou

5

: something that serves to identify, predict, or characterize: such as

a

: biomarker

b

: genetic marker

Synonyms

• label
• tag
• ticket

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

The nearly 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) marker is believed to have been moved during construction, so its original location is not known. —Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024

Sketch out your animation loop To plan your animation sequence, use your pen or marker to divide the strip of paper into same-sized frames. —Charlotte Hu, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024

Many are rewriting the definition of success, moving away from traditional markers toward goals that better reflect their values and financial realities. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 31 Oct. 2024

The tests also analyze stress markers like cortisol, specifically designed to track stress patterns in both men and women. —Luciana Paulise, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing marker

• genetic marker

Kids Definition

marker

noun

mark·​er ˈmär-kər 

1

: one that marks

2

: something used for marking

Medical Definition

marker

noun

mark·​er ˈmär-kər 

: 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