/ ˈhɔːlmɑːk; NAmE -mɑːrk/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a feature or quality that is typical of sb/sth :
Police said the explosion bore all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.
2.
a mark put on gold, silver and platinum objects that shows the quality of the metal and gives information about when and where the object was made
■ verb
[ vn ] to put a hallmark on metal goods
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WORD ORIGIN
early 18th cent. (as a noun): from Goldsmiths' Hall in London, where articles were tested and stamped with such a mark.