a mark on the skin that shows which caste a Hindu belongs to, esp a dot painted on the forehead
caste mark in American English
noun
1. (in India)
a mark, usually on the forehead, symbolizing and identifying caste membership
2.
a distinctive trait, associated with a group or class and marking a person as a member
Word origin
[1900–05]This word is first recorded in the period 1900–05. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Young Turk, burnout, desensitize, elder statesman, throwaway