marker

marker — noun

1. An object or physical sign placed to indicate a specific spot, helping people fi

1.nounA2
Definition

An object or physical sign placed to indicate a specific spot, helping people find a location, boundary, or path.

Example

A red flag on the beach served as a marker for swimmers to stay within the safe area.

a marker for [purpose]: indicates the function of the marker

The hikers followed the stone markers along the trail to reach the top of the mountain.

Common collocations
  • trail marker
  • boundary marker
  • lane marker
  • mile marker
  • marker buoy
Synonyms
  • sign

    more general; a sign can convey a message or warning, while a marker mainly shows position

  • landmark

    a landmark is usually a large, well-known natural or built feature, not a small placed object

  • indicator

    more abstract; can refer to anything that signals a condition or change, not just physical objects

Grammar Patterns

a marker of [place/boundary]

a marker for [purpose]

Usage Note

Often appears in compound nouns like trail marker, boundary marker, or lane marker to specify what kind of location the marker indicates.

2. A structure, monument, or plaque created to remember a person or event, or to in

2.nounB1
Definition

A structure, monument, or plaque created to remember a person or event, or to indicate a burial site.

Example

The town erected a granite marker in the park to honour the soldiers who died in the war.

a marker to honour [person/event]: purpose of the memorial

Dahlia visited the small stone marker where her great-grandmother was buried.

Common collocations
  • grave marker
  • stone marker
  • bronze marker
  • historic marker
  • commemorative marker
Synonyms
  • monument

    usually larger and more elaborate than a marker

  • plaque

    a flat piece of metal or stone attached to a wall or surface, often with engraved text

  • headstone

    specifically the stone placed at a grave, with the person's name and dates

Grammar Patterns

a marker + to + [purpose]

a marker + on/at + [location]

Usage Note

Can be used for both commemorative monuments (honouring people or events) and grave markers (identifying burial places). The exact type is usually clear from the context.

3. A biological feature, gene, or chemical substance that reveals the presence, ide

3.nounB2
Definition

A biological feature, gene, or chemical substance that reveals the presence, identity, or likely development of something, such as a disease or ancestry.

Example

The doctor explained that high levels of a certain protein in the blood can be a marker for heart disease.

a marker for [disease]: identifies what the marker indicates

Genetic markers allow scientists to trace the migration patterns of ancient human populations.

Common collocations
  • genetic marker
  • biological marker
  • tumor marker
  • disease marker
  • clinical marker
Synonyms
  • indicator

    broader term; can be used in non-biological contexts too (e.g. economic indicator)

  • biomarker

    more specific; refers strictly to biological markers measured in medical testing

  • signal

    less precise; suggests something that naturally points to a condition, not necessarily measured scientifically

Grammar Patterns

a marker for [disease/condition]

a [adjective] marker

a marker of [identity/status]

Usage Note

Common in medical and scientific writing. A marker is an objective, measurable indicator — unlike a symptom, which is what a patient feels. Frequently used with the preposition for (e.g. a marker for cancer).

Common Mistakes

The patient felt a marker of the disease.
The patient showed a marker of the disease.
Markers are detected through tests or observations, not felt by the patient.

4. A writing instrument with a thick tip, filled with ink, used for writing, drawin

4.nounA2
Definition

A writing instrument with a thick tip, filled with ink, used for writing, drawing, or highlighting on paper, cardboard, or other surfaces.

Example

The teacher used a red marker to circle the spelling mistakes in Tariq's essay.

a [color] marker to [verb] [object]

Diego grabbed a black permanent marker and wrote his name on the cardboard moving box.

permanent marker: a type that does not wash off

Common collocations
  • permanent marker
  • dry-erase marker
  • felt-tip marker
  • coloured marker
  • black marker
  • marker pen
Synonyms
  • felt-tip pen

    slightly more specific; refers to a marker whose tip is made of pressed felt fibres

  • highlighter

    a type of marker with fluorescent ink designed specifically for emphasising text

  • pen

    general term; a standard pen has a finer tip and different ink from a marker

Grammar Patterns

a [color] marker

[modifier] marker

a permanent marker

Usage Note

Often combined with a colour word (e.g. red marker, black marker) or a type word (e.g. permanent marker, dry-erase marker). In Taiwan, 麥克筆 is the common term, derived from 'marker pen'.

Common Mistakes

I wrote the letter with a marker.
I wrote the letter with a pen.
Markers have thick tips and are used for bold writing or labelling, not for ordinary handwriting on paper.
I highlighted the sentence with a red marker.
I highlighted the sentence with a highlighter.
A highlighter has fluorescent ink for emphasising text; a regular marker is not designed for that purpose.

5. In team ball sports, a player assigned to stay close to an opposing player so th

5.nounB1
Definition

In team ball sports, a player assigned to stay close to an opposing player so that the opponent cannot take the ball or score points.

Example

Justin played as a marker in the soccer match and stayed close to the opponent's best forward all game.

play as a marker: role description in sports

The coach assigned their strongest marker to guard the other team's top scorer.

Common collocations
  • close marker
  • tight marker
  • opponent's marker
  • man marker
Synonyms
  • defender

    broader term; refers to any player whose main job is to stop the opponent from scoring, not just one who follows a specific player

  • guard

    used in basketball for a player who defends against the opposing team's ball handler

Grammar Patterns

play as a marker

be a marker for [player]

Usage Note

Most commonly used in rugby, soccer (football), Australian rules football, and netball. In basketball and American football, the terms defender or guard are more common.

6. A person who tracks and writes down the score during a sports competition, parti

6.nounB1
Definition

A person who tracks and writes down the score during a sports competition, particularly in golf.

Example

Tuan volunteered to be the marker for his group during the weekend golf tournament.

be the marker for [group]: the role of keeping score for a specific group

The tournament rules require each group to have a marker who records every player's score on each hole.

Common collocations
  • golf marker
  • tournament marker
  • official marker
  • scorecard marker
Synonyms
  • scorekeeper

    more general term; used across many sports and activities, not just golf

  • scorer

    can mean either the person who records the score or the player who scores points

Grammar Patterns

act as (a/the) marker

be the marker for [group]

Usage Note

Most common in golf, where rules often require a marker for each group. In other sports, the terms scorekeeper or scorer are used more broadly.

Idioms

lay/put/set down a marker (for something)

idiom

To do something that shows your future goals or sets a high standard for others to follow.

Maya laid down a marker by finishing the race in record time.

The company set down a marker for innovation with its new smartphone.

Word family

  • mark
    verbA2
  • mark
    nounA2
  • marked
    adjectiveB2
  • marking
    nounB1
  • unmarked
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/4

A marker is a writing tool with a thick tip that produces bold lines, commonly used for labelling, drawing, or writing on large surfaces. A pen, by contrast, has a fine tip and uses thinner ink, making it suitable for everyday handwriting on paper. A felt-tip pen is a specific subtype of marker with a tip made of compressed felt fibres, often used by artists and children for colouring. A highlighter is a specialised marker with fluorescent, semi-transparent ink designed to emphasise text on a page without obscuring it. For example, you would use a marker to label a cardboard box, a pen to sign a letter, a felt-tip pen to draw a picture, and a highlighter to mark important passages in a textbook.

marker ↗pen ↗felt-tip penhighlighter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • act as a marker
  • serve as a marker
  • use a marker
  • place a marker

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'marker' was formed in English by adding the suffix '-er' (meaning 'a person or thing that does something') to the noun 'mark', which comes from Old English 'mearc' (meaning a boundary, sign, or trace). 'Mearc' can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word '*markō', which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European root '*merǧ-' (meaning boundary or border). The sense referring to a thick pen emerged in the mid-20th century with the invention of felt-tip writing instruments.