watermark

Everyday

1. A faint picture or pattern pressed into paper, which you can see when you hold it up to the light; banknotes have them to show they are real. tree →
2. A faint logo or word put over a digital picture or document to show who owns it. tree →
3. A mark showing how high water has reached, as in "high-water mark". tree →
4. (verb) To put a watermark on paper or a picture. tree →

In the lessons

In money and maths lessons on coins and notes, the watermark is one of the security features that help stop forged money. Online, a watermark on a photo shows it belongs to someone and should not be copied without permission. Phrases: "hold it up to the light to see the watermark", "high-water mark".

Examples

• Hold the banknote up to the light and you will see the watermark. tree →
• The photo had the photographer's name as a watermark. tree →
• The school watermarked the test papers with its logo. tree →
• A real banknote has a watermark; a fake one may not. tree →
• The flood left a dirty watermark on the wall. tree →
• Don't copy pictures with watermarks; they belong to someone else. tree →

Note

Countable. One word. "High-water mark" also means the best or highest point of something ("the high-water mark of her career"). Copying a watermarked picture without permission can break copyright rules.

In Jewish tradition

In money and maths lessons on coins and notes, the watermark is one of the security features that help stop forged money. Online, a watermark on a photo shows it belongs to someone and should not be copied without permission. Phrases: "hold it up to the light to see the watermark", "high-water mark".

Examples

• + Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find additional materials through Google Book Search. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →

Note

Countable. One word. "High-water mark" also means the best or highest point of something ("the high-water mark of her career"). Copying a watermarked picture without permission can break copyright rules.