hallmark
UK /ˈhɔːlmɑːk/ · US /ˈhɔlmɑɹk/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms hallmarks hallmarking hallmarked
- noun (figurative) A distinguishing characteristic.
- noun An official marking made by a trusted party, usually an assay office, on items made of precious metals.
- verb To provide or stamp with a hallmark.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
Etymology
1721. From hall + mark, from Goldsmiths' Hall in London, the site of the assay office, official stamp of purity in gold and silver articles. The general sense of “mark of quality” first recorded 1864. Use as a verb from 1773.
The company is named after its founder, J. C. Hall, and a reference to hallmark (“official marking”).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “hallmark”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details