trademarks

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of trademark.

   Counterfeiters often copy well-known trademarks to fool buyers.

   The firm holds dozens of trademarks across multiple industries.

   Note

   The spelling covers every meaning of the noun, including the figurative one. A person's trademarks are the habits or touches they are best known for, much like hallmarks. In commerce it names the words, symbols or phrases that set a company's products apart, often registered for legal protection. The same spelling also serves as the verb form (the studio trademarks its characters). A determiner or a plural verb marks the noun.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of trademark.

   Whenever the studio creates a new character, it trademarks the design immediately.

   The chef trademarks each signature dish to stop rivals from copying it.

   Note

   Here the noun has been turned into a verb, and careful usage guidance objects to the result. It carries two meanings: registering something as a trademark, and labeling a product with one. Both take a direct object, and the subject is singular: a person, a firm, a studio. In formal or legal writing, a phrasing such as "registers the name as a trademark" sidesteps the objection entirely.

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