earmark
/ˈɪrmɑrk/
noun
- A distinctive feature or characteristic that identifies someone or something.
- His use of bright colors is an earmark of his painting style.
- The building's tall spire is an earmark of Gothic architecture.
- Long working hours are an earmark of the finance industry.
- A mark or cut on the ear of a domestic animal (such as a sheep or cow) to show ownership.
- The farmer checked the earmark on each sheep to see which belonged to his flock.
- The lamb had a small notch in its ear as an earmark.
- Earmarks are still used on some ranches to identify cattle.
- An amount of money set aside for a specific purpose, especially in a government budget.
- The senator added an earmark for the new bridge project in the budget.
- Critics argue that earmarks waste taxpayer money on unnecessary projects.
- The bill included an earmark to fund local library renovations.
Synonyms
verb
- To set aside (money, resources, or time) for a particular purpose.
- The company earmarked funds for employee training programs.
- The government has earmarked $10 million for disaster relief.
- She earmarked Saturday morning for cleaning the garage.
- To mark (an animal) with an earmark.
- The rancher earmarked the newborn calves to show they belonged to his herd.
- The farmer carefully earmarked each lamb with a unique notch.
- They earmark their sheep every spring before moving them to summer pasture.