tidemark

[ tahyd-mahrk ]

noun

1. the point that something or someone has reached, receded below, or risen above:

   He has reached the tidemark of his prosperity.

2. a mark left by the highest or lowest point of a tide.
3. a mark made to indicate the highest or lowest point of a tide.

tidemark

/ ˈtaɪdˌmɑːk /

noun

1. a mark left by the highest or lowest point of a tide
2. a marker indicating the highest or lowest point reached by a tide
3. a mark showing a level reached by a liquid

   a tidemark on the bath

4. informal.
   a dirty mark on the skin, indicating the extent to which someone has washed

tidemark

/ tīd′märk′ /

1. A line or mark on a shore indicating the highest or lowest level reached by the tide.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tidemark¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; tide ¹ + mark ¹

Example Sentences

Its white plank floor is mottled with mold, and its landscape bears an ominously high tidemark.

From New York Times

A church has a brown tidemark halfway up its towers.

From Seattle Times

He is aiming for an even higher tidemark than May’s.

From Economist

What is a day or an hour or a lifetime Gauged by the ebb and the flow of the ages Shown in the tidemarks on crags prehistoric?

From Project Gutenberg

That is shown very well by a simple little tidemark.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• apex
• apogee
• upper limit