noun

• (chiefly agriculture) A mark made or tag attached to the ear of an animal (chiefly a livestock animal), generally to identify or indicate something about the animal, such as ownership, health or gestation status, etc.
  "Some mark them [sheep] vvith Raddle and make Ear-marks."
• (figurative)
  "[H]e ſhoulde be dyſcryued by hys rounding and his eare marke: […]"
• (figurative)

verb

• (chiefly agriculture) To make a mark or attach a tag to the ear of (an animal, chiefly a livestock animal), generally to identify or indicate something about the animal, such as ownership.
• (figurative)
• (figurative)
  "In barely a decade, the War on Drugs went from being a political slogan to an actual war. Now that police departments were suddenly flush with cash and military equipment earmarked for the drug war, they needed to make use of their new resources."
• (figurative)
  "You can donate to the organization as a whole, or you can earmark your contribution for a particular project."