Earmark

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. A mark on the ear of sheep, oxen, dogs, etc., as by cropping or slitting.

2. A mark for identification; a distinguishing mark. Money is said to have no earmark. Wharton. Flying, he [a slave] should be described by the rounding of his head, and his earmark. Robynson (More's Utopia). A set of intellectual ideas . . . have earmarks upon them, no tokens of a particular proprietor. Burrow.

Part of speech: verb (v.)

To mark, as sheep, by cropping or slitting the ear.