watermark

From water +‎ mark.

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɔːtəmɑːk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

watermark (plural watermarks)

1. A translucent design impressed on the surface of paper and visible when the paper is held to the light.
2. (by extension) A logo superimposed on a digital image, a television broadcast, etc.
3. (computing) A value stored in a datafile to ensure its integrity, so that if the file's contents are changed then the watermark will no longer match the contents.
4. (graphical user interface) A default hint caption displayed in a text box prior to the user inputting any text.
5. A mark indicating the level to which water has risen.

• digital watermark
• watermark disease

watermark (third-person singular simple present watermarks, present participle watermarking, simple past and past participle watermarked)

1. (transitive) To mark paper with a watermark.
2. (transitive) To mark a datafile with a digital watermark.