Mark vs. Smear — What's the Difference?

A small area on a surface having a different colour from its surroundings, typically one caused by damage or dirt

To spread or daub (a surface, for example) with a sticky, greasy, or dirty substance.

A line, figure, or symbol made as an indication or record of something

To apply by spreading or daubing

A point awarded for a correct answer or for proficiency in an examination or competition

To cause to be blurry or spread in unwanted places

(followed by a numeral) a particular model or type of a vehicle or machine

To stain or attempt to destroy the reputation of; vilify

A target

(Slang) To defeat utterly.

The act of cleanly catching the ball direct from a kick, knock-on, or forward throw by an opponent, on or behind one's own 22-metre line, and exclaiming ‘Mark’, after which a free kick can be taken by the catcher.

To spread easily in an undesired way

(until the introduction of the euro in 2002) the basic monetary unit of Germany, equal to 100 pfennig; a Deutschmark

A mark made by smearing; a spot or blot.

A former English and Scottish money of account, equal to thirteen shillings and four pence in the currency of the day

A substance to be spread on a surface.

The basic monetary unit of Bosnia and Herzegovina, equal to 100 fening.

(Biology) A sample, as of blood or bacterial cells, spread on a slide for microscopic examination or on the surface of a culture medium.

Make a visible impression or stain on

Vilification or slander.

Write a word or symbol on (an object) in order to give information

A vilifying or slanderous remark.

Indicate the position of

(transitive) To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing.

(of a teacher or examiner) assess the standard of (written work) by assigning points for proficiency or correct answers

(transitive) To cover (a surface with a layer of some substance) by rubbing.

Notice or pay careful attention to

(transitive) To make something dirty.

(of a player in a team game) stay close to (an opponent) in order to prevent them getting or passing the ball

(transitive) of a substance, etc. To make a surface dirty by covering it.

See Table at Bible.

(transitive) To damage someone's reputation by slandering, misrepresenting, or otherwise making false accusations about them, their statements, or their actions.

A visible trace or impression, such as a line or spot

(transitive) To cause (something) to be messy or not clear by rubbing and spreading it.

A name, logo, or other indicator used to indicate ownership, origin, or level of quality.

(intransitive) To become messy or not clear by being spread.

A notch made in an animal's ear or hide to indicate ownership.

(transitive) To write or draw (something) by spreading a substance on a surface.

A sign, such as a cross, made in lieu of a signature.

(transitive) To cause (something) to be a particular colour by covering with a substance.

A written or printed symbol used for punctuation; a punctuation mark.

(transitive) To rub (a body part, etc.) across a surface.

A number, letter, or symbol used to indicate various grades of academic achievement

(transitive) To attempt to remove (a substance) from a surface by rubbing.

Often marks An appraisal; a rating

(climbing) To climb without using footholds, using the friction from the shoe to stay on the wall.

A knot or piece of material placed at various measured lengths on a sounding line to indicate the depth of the water.

A mark made by smearing.

A Plimsoll mark.

A false or unsupported, malicious statement intended to injure a person's reputation.

A distinctive trait or property

(biology) A preparation to be examined under a microscope, made by spreading a thin layer of a substance (such as blood, bacterial culture) on a slide.

A recognized standard of quality

(medicine) A Pap smear screening test for cervical cancer.

A lasting effect

Any of various forms of distortion that make a signal harder to see or hear.

A specific model, type, or iteration, as of a product or machine, especially when part of a series. Usually used with a number

(climbing) A maneuver in which the shoe is placed onto the holdless rock, and the friction from the shoe keeps it in contact

Importance; prominence

(music) A rough glissando in jazz music.

Notice; attention

To overspread with anything unctuous, viscous, or adhesive; to daub; as, to smear anything with oil.

A target

To soil in any way; to contaminate; to pollute; to stain morally; as, to be smeared with infamy.

Something that one wishes to achieve; a goal.

To smudge, blur, or render indistinct (writing, pictures, etc.).

An object or point that serves as a guide.

To vilify (a person); to damage (a person's reputation), especially falsely or by unfair innuendo, and with malicious intent.

(Slang) A person who is the intended victim of a swindler; a dupe.

A fat, oily substance; oinment.

(Sports) The place from which racers begin and sometimes end their contest.

Hence, a spot made by, or as by, an unctuous or adhesive substance; a blot or blotch; a daub; a stain.

A point reached or gained

Slanderous defamation

A record

A thin tissue or blood sample spread on a glass slide and stained for cytologic examination and diagnosis under a microscope

A strike or spare in bowling.

A blemish made by dirt;

A stationary ball in lawn bowling; a jack.

An act that brings discredit to the person who does it;

A boundary between countries.

Stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance

A tract of land in medieval England and Germany held in common by a community.

Make a smudge on; soil by smudging

(Computers) A character or feature in a file, record, or data stream used to locate a specific point or condition.

Cover (a surface) by smearing (a substance) over it;

In Arthurian legend, a king of Cornwall who was the husband of Iseult and the uncle of her lover Tristan.

Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone;

An English and Scottish unit of currency that was equal to 13 shillings and 4 pence.

Any of several European units of weight that were equal to about 8 ounces (227 grams), used especially for weighing gold and silver.

A deutsche mark.

A markka.

To make a visible trace or impression on, as with a spot, line, or dent

To form, make, or depict by making a mark

To supply with natural markings

To single out or indicate by or as if by a mark

To distinguish or characterize

To make conspicuous

To set off or separate by or as if by a line or boundary

To attach or affix identification, such as a price tag or maker's label, to.

To evaluate (academic work) according to a scale of letters or numbers; grade.

To give attention to; notice

To take note of in writing; write down

Sports & Games To record (the score) in various games.

(Sports) To guard (an opponent), as in soccer.

To make a visible impression

To receive a visible impression

Sports & Games To keep score.

To determine academic grades

(heading) Boundary, land within a boundary.

(obsolete) A boundary; a border or frontier.

(obsolete) A boundary-post or fence.

A stone or post used to indicate position and guide travellers.

(archaic) A type of small region or principality.

(historical) A common, or area of common land, especially among early Germanic peoples.

(heading) Characteristic, sign, visible impression.

An omen; a symptomatic indicator of something.

A characteristic feature.

A visible impression or sign; a blemish, scratch, or stain, whether accidental or intentional.

A sign or brand on a person.

A written character or sign.

A stamp or other indication of provenance, quality etc.

(obsolete) Resemblance, likeness, image.

A particular design or make of an item now usually with following numeral.

A score for finding the correct answer, or other academic achievement; the sum of such points gained as out of a possible total.

(heading) Indicator of position, objective etc.

A target for shooting at with a projectile.

An indication or sign used for reference or measurement.

The target or intended victim of a swindle, fixed game or con game.

(obsolete) The female genitals.

(Rugby football, Australian rules football) A catch of the ball directly from a kick of 10 metres or more without having been touched in transit, resulting in a free kick.

(sports) The line indicating an athlete's starting-point.

A score for a sporting achievement.

An official note that is added to a record kept about someone's behavior or performance.

(cooking) A specified level on a scale denoting gas-powered oven temperatures.

(product design/engineering) The model number of a device; a device model.

Limit or standard of action or fact.

Badge or sign of honour, rank, or official station.

(archaic) Preeminence; high position.

(logic) A characteristic or essential attribute; a differential.

(nautical) One of the bits of leather or coloured bunting placed upon a sounding line at intervals of from two to five fathoms. (The unmarked fathoms are called "deeps".)

(heading) Attention.

(archaic) Attention, notice.

Importance, noteworthiness. Generally in postmodifier “of mark”.

(obsolete) Regard; respect.

A measure of weight (especially for gold and silver), once used throughout Europe, equivalent to 8 oz.

An English and Scottish unit of currency (originally valued at one mark weight of silver), equivalent to 13 shillings and fourpence.

Any of various European monetary units, especially the base unit of currency of (West) Germany between 1948 and 2002, equal to 100 pfennigs.

A coin worth one mark.

To put a mark on (something); to make (something) recognizable by a mark; to label or write on (something).

To leave a mark (often an undesirable or unwanted one) on (something).

(figurative) To have a long-lasting negative impact on (someone or something).

To create an indication of (a location).

To be an indication of (something); to show where (something) is located.

To indicate (something) in writing or by other symbols.

To create (a mark) on a surface.

To celebrate or acknowledge (an event) through an action of some kind.

(of things) To identify (someone as a particular type of person or as having a particular role).

(of people) To assign (someone) to a particular category or class.

(of people) To choose or intend (someone) for a particular end or purpose.

To be a point in time or space at which something takes place; to accompany or be accompanied by (an event, action, etc.); to coincide with.

To be typical or characteristic of (something).

To distinguish (one person or thing from another).

To focus one's attention on (something or someone); to pay attention to, to take note of.

(dated) To become aware of (something) through the physical senses.

To hold (someone) in one's line of sight.

To indicate the correctness of and give a score to (a school assignment, exam answers, etc.).

To record that (someone) has a particular status.

To keep account of; to enumerate and register; to keep score.

(sports) To follow a player not in possession of the ball when defending, to prevent them receiving a pass easily.

(Australian rules football) To catch the ball directly from a kick of 15 metres or more without having been touched in transit, resulting in a free kick.

(golf) To put a marker in the place of one's ball.

(singing) To sing softly, sometimes an octave lower than usual, in order to protect one's voice during a rehearsal.

Alternative form of march.

A license of reprisals. See Marque.

An old weight and coin. See Marc.

The unit of monetary account of the German Empire, equal to 23.8 cents of United States money (1913); the equivalent of one hundred pfennigs. Also, a silver coin of this value. The unit was retained by subsequent German states up to the time of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1995, the value was approximately 65 cents American. In 1999 it began to be superseded by the Euro as a unit of currency in Germany and throughout much of the European union.

A visible sign or impression made or left upon anything; esp., a line, point, stamp, figure, or the like, drawn or impressed, so as to attract the attention and convey some information or intimation; a token; a trace.

A character or device put on an article of merchandise by the maker to show by whom it was made; a trade-mark.

A fixed object serving for guidance, as of a ship, a traveler, a surveyor, etc.; as, a seamark, a landmark.

A trace, dot, line, imprint, or discoloration, although not regarded as a token or sign; a scratch, scar, stain, etc.; as, this pencil makes a fine mark.

An evidence of presence, agency, or influence; a significative token; a symptom; a trace; specifically, a permanent impression of one's activity or character.

That toward which a missile is directed; a thing aimed at; what one seeks to hit or reach.

Attention, regard, or respect.

Limit or standard of action or fact; as, to be within the mark; to come up to the mark.

Badge or sign of honor, rank, or official station.

Preëminence; high position; as, patricians of mark; a fellow of no mark.

A characteristic or essential attribute; a differential.

A number or other character used in registering; as, examination marks; a mark for tardiness.

Image; likeness; hence, those formed in one's image; children; descendants.

One of the bits of leather or colored bunting which are placed upon a sounding line at intervals of from two to five fathoms. The unmarked fathoms are called "deeps."

To put a mark upon; to affix a significant mark to; to make recognizable by a mark; as, to mark a box or bale of merchandise; to mark clothing.

To be a mark upon; to designate; to indicate; - used literally and figuratively; as, this monument marks the spot where Wolfe died; his courage and energy marked him for a leader.

To leave a trace, scratch, scar, or other mark, upon, or any evidence of action; as, a pencil marks paper; his hobnails marked the floor.

To keep account of; to enumerate and register; as, to mark the points in a game of billiards or cards.

To notice or observe; to give attention to; to take note of; to remark; to heed; to regard; as, mark my words.

To take particular notice; to observe critically; to note; to remark.

A number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance);

A distinguishing symbol;

A reference point to shoot at;

A visible indication made on a surface;

The impression created by doing something unusual or extraordinary that people notice and remember;

A symbol of disgrace or infamy;

Formerly the basic unit of money in Germany

Apostle and companion of Saint Peter; assumed to be the author of the second Gospel

A person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of

A written or printed symbol (as for punctuation);

A perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened);

The shortest of the four Gospels in the New Testament

An indication of damage

Marking consisting of crossing lines

Something that exactly succeeds in achieving its goal;

Attach a tag or label to;

Designate as if by a mark;

Be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense;

Mark by some ceremony or observation;

Make or leave a mark on;

To accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful;

Notice or perceive;

Mark with a scar;

Make small marks into the surface of;

Establish as the highest level or best performance;

Make underscoring marks

Remove from a list;

Put a check mark on or next to;

Assign a grade or rank to, according to one's evaluation;

Insert punctuation marks into