1. A mark on the foot; (in quot.) an ownership mark cut on the foot of a swan.
1641. H. Best, Rural Economy in Yorkshire in 1641 (Surtees), 123. Our footemarke is to cutte or slitte them on both the in-webbes, and to cutte rownde holes in the out-webbes.
2. A mark made by the foot; a foot-print.
1826. Syd. Smith, Counsel for Prisoners, Wks. 1859, II. 111/2. A foot-mark, a word, a sound, a tool dropped, all gave birth to the most ingenious inferences.
1855. Dawson, Acadian Geol., ix. 187. When examining the red sandstones, near Tatamagouche, last summer, I found in one of the beds a few footmarks of an unknown animal.
fig. 1858. R. A. Vaughan, Ess. & Rem., I. 31. Possessed of data wherewith to discover the genuine footmark, we may now track the course of our author.
Hence Foot-mark v. trans. † a. To mark on the foot. † b. To impress with the mark of a foot.
1641. H. Best, Rural Economy in Yorkshire in 1641 (Surtees), 123. The swanners gette up the younge swannes about Midsummer, and footemarke them for the owners.
1821. Clark, Vill. Minstr., I. 207.
| Where (as if that spot could be) | |
| First foot-mark’d the ground by me, | |
| All is still, and wild, and gay, | |
| Left as at creation’s day. |
