"earmark" means: A mark made or tag attached to the ear of an animal (chiefly a livestock animal), generally to identify or indicate something about the anim.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
earmark
(chiefly, agriculture) A mark made or tag attached to the ear of an animal (chiefly a livestock animal), generally to identify or indicate something about the animal, such as ownership, health or gest
Definitions
(chiefly, agriculture) A mark made or tag attached to the ear of an animal (chiefly a livestock animal), generally to identify or indicate something about the animal, such as ownership, health or gestation status, etc.
"earmark" means: A mark made or tag attached to the ear of an animal (chiefly a livestock animal), generally to identify or indicate something about the anim.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"earmark" means: A mark made or tag attached to the ear of an animal (chiefly a livestock animal), generally to identify or indicate something about the anim.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
“I mean it was always $400m and paid for by donors, but now it got a $1b earmark from taxes, but there is no such thing as truth any more”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(chiefly, agriculture) To make a mark or attach a tag to the ear of (an animal, chiefly a livestock animal), generally to identify or indicate something about the animal, such as ownership.
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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Semantically related
- brand58%
A mark or scar made by burning with a hot iron, especially to mark cattle or to classify the contents of a cask.
- marker56%
Someone or something that creates marks, particularly.
- badge56%
A distinctive mark, token, sign, emblem or cognizance, worn on one’s clothing, as an insignia of some rank, or of the membership of an organization.
- marker55%
Someone or something used to mark a position or amount, particularly.