scent mark

¹

noun

, Animal Behavior.

1. a distinctive odor that an animal deposits on the ground or other surface, as by urinating, which functions as an identifying signal to other animals of the species.

scent-mark

²

[ sent-mahrk ]

verb (used without object)

1. to deposit a scent mark; mark.

verb (used with object)

1. to deposit a scent mark on; mark.

Word History and Origins

Origin of scent mark¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

They also scent mark and use body postures, tail positions, facial expressions and touch to communicate.

From Seattle Times

But they also found that rats that were part of the low-freezing group stayed farther away from the scent mark, suggesting they were more avoidant than the high-freezing group.

From Salon

In doing so, the mammals keep air spaces in their warm undercoat and distribute their outer fur with castoreum oil, which they produce to scent mark and waterproof themselves.

From National Geographic

The brownish urine stain acts as a territorial scent mark To investigate whether parents had any role in influencing their son's attractiveness, Mr Nelson and colleagues bred mice from the mouse barn and monogamous mice in combinations.

From BBC

Guess what, people don't get to scent mark others for life.

From Slate