mark
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: ma'k
To make one’s MARK is to achieve a success literary, artistic, or otherwise. Men of eminence are said to leave their MARKS on the earth’s surface. An American poet has described this ambitious, albeit somewhat rare, proceeding as leaving "footprints on the sands of time."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “mark” mean?
To make one’s MARK is to achieve a success literary, artistic, or otherwise. Men of eminence are said to leave their MARKS on the earth’s surface. An American poet has described this ambitious, albeit somewhat rare, proceeding as leaving "footprints on the sands of time."
Is “mark” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.