Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In England, an official stamp put upon articles made of gold and silver as an evidence of genuineness: so called from Goldsmiths' Hall in London, the seat of the Goldsmiths' Company, by whom the, stamping is legally regulated.
- noun Hence Any mark of genuineness, good quality, or respectability.
- To assay and stamp, as with the official mark of the Goldsmiths' Company.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The official stamp of the Goldsmiths' Company and other assay offices, in the United Kingdom, on gold and silver articles, attesting their purity.
- noun A distinguishing characteristic or characteristics.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a distinctive characteristic or attribute
- noun a mark on an article of trade to indicate its origin and authenticity
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Sitka Charley was an Indian; his criteria were primitive; but his word was flat, and his verdict a hall-mark in every camp under the circle.
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That I am marked with the hall-mark of gentlehood there is no discussion ... unless either of you care to discuss the matter now ...
THE PRINCESS 2010
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Old Ahuna was one of the real old ones with the hall-mark on him and branded into him of faithful born-slave service.
SHIN-BONES 2010
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Sitka Charley was an Indian; his criteria were primitive; but his word was flat, and his verdict a hall-mark in every camp under the circle.
THE SCORN OF WOMEN 2010
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A white man in these islands, the reader is told, needs to be both careful and lucky: He must have the hall-mark of the inevitable white man stamped upon his soul.
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This is a hall-mark of mutual trustin your child and your being a reasonable, firm parent.
Childhood Unbound Ron Taffel 2009
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This is a hall-mark of mutual trustin your child and your being a reasonable, firm parent.
Childhood Unbound Ron Taffel 2009
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It is practically a hall-mark of the ideology, because, of course, this time, our enlightened betters will finally get it right.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Obama Administration Continues to Defend State Secrets: 2009
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Senate to speak forcefully of the incompetence which is the hall-mark of the entire Iraq debacle.
Obtained: A Tape Of Reid's Conference Call With Bloggers -- Reid Did Blast Pace 2009
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For the daughters of the aristocracy, this meant presentation at Court. it commonly occurred when a young woman reached the age of eighteen and was, in the words of one etiquette book "the hall-mark demanded of those who aspire to fashionable life."
Coming Out 2009
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