quotation marks
nounUK /kwəʊˈteɪʃən mɑːks/
US /kwoʊˈteɪʃən mɑːrks/
Quotation marks are little marks you put around words to show someone is speaking or to show the exact words someone said.
She put quotation marks around the word "happy" in her story.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A pair of marks used to show the exact title of a book, song, or other work.
He wrote the song title in quotation marks.
3. Marks used to show that a word is being talked about as a word itself.
Put quotation marks around the word "cat" when you define it.
4. Marks used to show that a word is not being used in its usual or literal way.
They called the old car a "classic" in quotation marks.