a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xiii. 151 I know hym [sc. a lamb] by the eere-marke.

?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xxiiii Se that they [sc. the sheep] be well marked, both eare marke, pyche marke, and radell marke.

1681 London Gaz. No. 1625/4 Lost..a White Mare..no Ear-mark.

1683 in Colonial Rec. Pennsylvania (1852) I. 65 Punishm^t for those y^t shall presume to alter their Neighbours Eare or Brand Mark.

1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Marking Some mark them with Raddle and make Ear Marks.

1776 Pennsylvania Gaz. 4 Sept. 4/1 (advt.) A flea-bitten grey Mare..she has a spot about the bigness of a dollar on her off thigh near a mulberry colour, neither brand nor ear-mark.

1837 Monthly Genesee (Rochester, N.Y.) Farmer Aug. 11/1 When sheep are kept in pastures the ear mark is generally deemed sufficient.

1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Squatter's Dream v. 47 His ear-mark's a close crop, and he's not particular what ear.

1940 J. E. Wright & D. S. Corbett Pioneer Life in W. Pennsylvania vi. 71 Cattle had their ears punched with special ‘earmarks’ for identification.

2005 Farmers Weekly (Nexis) 3 June 1 Every flock of sheep has its own unique earmark, a curious series of cuts which distinguishes it.

2013 Dundalk Democrat (Nexis) 19 Feb. His identity could have been checked through examination of his ear-marks (tattoos which are applied to all greyhounds soon after they're born).

1551 R. Robinson tr. T. More Vtopia sig. Oviii He shoulde be dyscryued by hys rounding and his eare marke.

1587 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Iland Brit. (new ed.) i. xx. 115/1 in Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) I This prouerbe hath of old time beene vsed as an eare marke of their dissimulation.

1622 R. Hawkins Observ. Voiage South Sea xix. 42 We should see foure, fiue, and more, which had, (as it were) our eare-marke; one hurt vpon the backe; another neere the tayle, another about the fynnes.

1670 T. Brooks Wks. (1867) VI. 99 God makes this the ear-mark of his people, that they are children that will not lie.

1672 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd i. 151 Fanatick Money hath no Ear-mark.

1703 Athenian Oracle II. 71/1 'Tis but Justice to publish his Fame, and let the World know what he is (send his Earmarks, and we may perhaps give him a small lift).

1771 Speeches Judges Court of King's Bench Apr. 1769 59 What marks has a proprietor on a set of intellectual ideas? They have no ear-marks upon them.

1879 A. Trollope Thackeray 201 His [sc. Thackeray's] most besetting sin in style,—the little earmark by which he is most conspicuous.

1948 Peabody Jrnl. Educ. 26 99 One can see earmarks of inadequacy, however, in buildings which have cracks and leaning walls.

2000 Advocate 29 Aug. 22/2 Warren's death has all the earmarks of a hate crime.

1836 T. C. Haliburton in Novascotian 27 Jan. 1/2 They said it was a biter bit, and they came..to see which critter would get the ear mark.

1836 Globe (Washington, D.C.) 29 June Specific money was set apart for specific appropriations; as if, the moment an appropriation was made, an ear mark was placed upon the money in the Treasury.]

1890 World (N.Y.) 25 June 5/1 In the House of Commons to-night Mr. Healy asked the Speaker's ruling on the question whether there was any precedent for an ear-mark licensing fund.

1903 Deb. House of Commons (Canada) 24 Sept. 12287 These debentures are to make provision for the money required for the construction of the road... The first lot of debentures..have been called the ear-marks.

1967 Walla-Walla (Washington) Union-Bull. 24 May 5/5 Increasing..the gasoline tax by 1.5 cents carried an earmark for urban projects, $675,000 worth.

1993 New Pittsburgh Courier (Electronic ed.) 6 Mar. a1 The commissioners urged an ‘earmark’ of $56.5 million be included in the..legislation for Phase I of the Airport Busway/Wabash HOV facility.

2011 D. O. Smith Managing Res. University v. 76 Practically speaking, each member of Congress can expect to deliver only a limited number of earmarks per year.

a1642 H. Best Farming & Memorandum Bks. (1984) 6 It is a good way to earemarke lambs as they fall.

1658 R. Gove Pious Thoughts Vented 63 Upon the sight of one ear-marking his sheep.

1865 Portland (Austral.) Guardian 23 Nov. 2/5 The animal claimed by Cameron, belonged to defendant, who earmarked him when he was three months old.

1919 C. Lockhart Fighting Shepherdess xvii. 201 She clutched Disston's arm and stared in fascinated horror while Kate ear-marked the sheep and released it.

1952 Examiner (Launceston, Tasmania) 1 May 6/4 There were four prosecutions in Launceston Police Court yesterday for failure to ear-mark sheep.

2012 Weekly Times (Austral.) (Nexis) 12 Dec. 4 Guidelines in the document recommend cattle are not sent to live export, calving cows are inspected daily and cattle are not ear-marked.

1662 W. Austin Επιλοιμια επε i. 32 'Tis to be let, i.e. be let alone To tenant, ha's ear-markt it for his own.

1727 J. Hutchinson Moses's Principia: Pt. II 227 How long an Atom going from any Candle is in going a Mile; I say any, because they go in proportion to the Quantity of Grains of Air melted in the time, except it could be ear-marked, will be hard to prove.

1882 Times 14 Mar. 10/6 Why did the prisoner go down to Wimbledon and earmark his visit by taking a friend with him?

1924 N.Y. Herald-Tribune 8 June vii.–viii. 24/4 The animation and spirited color which earmarks his work.

1997 L. Liapin tr. M. D. Frank-Kamenetskii Unraveling DNA (rev. ed.) iv. 51 It was found that the bacterium uses methylase to ‘earmark’ DNA of the bacteriophages that have matured in it—just like a shepherd marks his sheep.

1742 London Mag. Oct. 489/1 He had never fallen under the Displeasure of Apollo, or been Ear-mark'd for the Ridicule of all Ages.

1895 E. Cecil Primogeniture i. 14 The tanist was..entitled to certain ‘cuttings and spendings’ from the inhabitants under the lord, by way of earmarking him as the appointed and entailed successor.

1902 G. H. Lorimer Lett. Merchant xiii. 187 I earmarked Charlie for a raise and a better job right there.

1929 S. McKenna Happy Ending iii. ii. 234 I need only earmark sufficient time in the summer for certain people whose hospitality I've accepted.

1961 E. S. Turner Phoney War vii. 28 Their own college was earmarked as an emergency headquarters for the Admiralty.

2003 Time Out N.Y. 13 Feb. 16/2 All new and renovated facilities are earmarked to have productive post-Olympics uses for their respective communities.

1837 Morning Post 12 June 5/3 It is..kept distinct from the other debt..and thus earmarked for Don Carlos to annul, as surely he will, the moment he gets to Madrid.

1890 Spectator 28 June 886/1 With large sums ear-marked and accumulating for the extinction of licences.

1928 Manch. Guardian Weekly 31 Aug. 179/2 Sundry amounts of sovereigns were ‘earmarked’ for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

1946 Liberty 1 June 79/2 Some of the states earmark special taxes for the purpose.

2010 Independent on Sunday 18 July 2/3 Labour had already earmarked the millions in dormant bank accounts to pay for facilities for children and young people.