landmark

• land-mark, land mark

From Middle English *landmark, from Old English landmearc (“boundary”), from Proto-West Germanic *landamarku (“boundary, landmark”). Equivalent to land +‎ mark. Cognate with German Landmarke (“landmark”), Danish landemærke (“landmark”), Swedish landmärke (“landmark”), Norwegian landemerke (“landmark”) and Faroese landamark (“land frontier”). Compare also Middle English londes-mark (“boundary”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlændmɑɹk/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

landmark (plural landmarks)

1. (historical) An object that marks the boundary of a piece of land (usually a stone, or a tree).

   Synonym: merestone

2. A recognizable natural or man-made feature used for navigation.

   Synonyms: marker, mark

   • 2005 January 22, misc.transport.road‎^[1] (Usenet):

     Anyone have any weird landmarks they often remember seeing along roads in the olden days?

3. A notable location with historical, cultural, or geographical significance.

   Synonyms: monument, sight

4. (figurative, also attributive) A major event or discovery.

   Synonym: milestone

   an important landmark in human history

   a landmark paper in neurosurgery

   a landmark ruling/case

   • 2005 January 19, “Bush thanks troops at gala event”, in CNN.com‎^[2], archived from the original on 7 June 2019:

     He called the overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and the recent elections in Afghanistan landmark events in the history of liberty.

   • 2021 May 15, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 0-1 Leicester”, in BBC Sport‎^[3]:

     Leicester closed out the win to spark emotional scenes as those inside Wembley rejoiced in a landmark victory.

landmark (third-person singular simple present landmarks, present participle landmarking, simple past and past participle landmarked)

1. (US) To officially designate a site or building as a landmark.
   • 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 413, about Woolpit:

     St Mary's Church stands on the north side of the village, a building of flint and stone with a 140 ft high steeple that landmarks one of the most beautiful churches in Suffolk.

   • 2007 March 25, Jeff Vandam, “Preservationists’ Rallying Cry”, in New York Times‎^[4]:

     “Permitted demolition or stripping rarely occurs on landmarked buildings,” she said. Ms. de Bourbon also noted that the city already requires the Buildings Department to hold permits for 40 days for “calendared” properties — those currently under landmarks consideration — so the commission has a chance to designate them.

• landmark on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Markland, markland