Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A mark indicating quality or excellence.
  • noun A mark used in Great Britain to stamp gold, silver, and platinum articles that meet established standards of purity.
  • noun Any of various authorized marks stamped on gold, silver, and platinum articles to indicate where, when, or by whom they were made or assayed.
  • noun A conspicuous feature or characteristic.
  • transitive verb To stamp (gold and silver articles) with a mark indicating purity.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun 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

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[After Goldsmith's Hall , in London, England, where gold and silver articles have been appraised and stamped since the 1300s.]

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