Adjacent Words

Signature definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SIG'NATURE, n. [L. signo, to sign.]
1. A sign, stamp or mark impressed. The brain being well furnished with various traces, signatures and images. The natural and indelible signature of God stamped on the human soul.
2. In old medical writers, and external mark or character on a plant, which was supposed to indicate its suitableness to cure particular diseases, or diseases of particular parts. This plants with yellow flowers were supposed to be adapted to the cure of the jaundice, etc. Some plants bear a very evident signature of their nature and use.
3. A mark for proof, or proof from marks.
4. Sign manual; the name of a person written or subscribed by himself.
5. Among printers, a letter or figure at the bottom of the first page of a sheet or half sheet, by which the sheets are distinguished and their order designated, as a direction to the binder. Every successive sheet has a different letter or figure, and if the sheets are more numerous than the letters of the alphabet, the a small letter is added to the capital one; thus Aa, Bb, In large volumes, the signatures are sometimes composed of letters and figures; thus 5A, 5B. But some printer now use figures only for signatures.
6. In physiognomy, an external mark or feature by which some persons pretend to discover the nature and qualities of a thing, particularly the temper and genius of persons.
SIG'NATURE, v.t. To mark; to distinguish. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: your name written in your own handwriting
2: a distinguishing style; "this room needs a woman's touch" [syn: touch, signature]
3: a melody used to identify a performer or a dance band or radio/tv program [syn: signature, signature tune, theme song]
4: the sharps or flats that follow the clef and indicate the key [syn: key signature, signature]
5: a sheet with several pages printed on it; it folds to page size and is bound with other signatures to form a book

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French, from Medieval Latin signatura, from Latin signatus, past participle of signare to sign, seal Date: 1536 1. a. the act of signing one's name to something b. the name of a person written with his or her own hand 2. a feature in the appearance or qualities of a natural object formerly held to indicate its utility in medicine 3. a. a letter or figure placed usually at the bottom of the first page on each sheet of printed pages (as of a book) as a direction to the binder in arranging and gathering the sheets b. one unit of a book comprising a group of printed sheets that are folded and stitched together 4. a. key signature b. time signature 5. the part of a medical prescription that contains the directions to the patient 6. something (as a tune, style, or logo) that serves to set apart or identify; also a characteristic mark 7. fingerprint 2

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a a person's name, initials, or mark used in signing a letter, document, etc. b the act of signing a document etc. 2 archaic a distinctive action, characteristic, etc. 3 Mus. a = key signature. b = time signature. 4 Printing a a letter or figure placed at the foot of one or more pages of each sheet of a book as a guide for binding. b such a sheet after folding. 5 US directions given to a patient as part of a medical prescription. Phrases and idioms: signature tune esp. Brit. a distinctive tune used to introduce a particular programme or performer on television or radio. Etymology: med.L signatura (LL = marking of sheep), as SIGNATORY

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Signature Sig"na*ture, n. [F. (cf. It. signatura, segnatura, Sp. & LL. signatura), from L. signare, signatum. See Sign, v. t.] 1. A sign, stamp, or mark impressed, as by a seal. The brain, being well furnished with various traces, signatures, and images. --I. Watts. The natural and indelible signature of God, which human souls . . . are supposed to be stamped with. --Bentley. 2. Especially, the name of any person, written with his own hand, employed to signify that the writing which precedes accords with his wishes or intentions; a sign manual; an autograph. 3. (Physiol.) An outward mark by which internal characteristics were supposed to be indicated. Some plants bear a very evident signature of their nature and use. --Dr. H. More. 4. (Old Med.) A resemblance between the external characters of a disease and those of some physical agent, for instance, that existing between the red skin of scarlet fever and a red cloth; -- supposed to indicate this agent in the treatment of the disease. 5. (Mus.) The designation of the key (when not C major, or its relative, A minor) by means of one or more sharps or flats at the beginning of the staff, immediately after the clef, affecting all notes of the same letter throughout the piece or movement. Each minor key has the same signature as its relative major. 6. (Print.) (a) A letter or figure placed at the bottom of the first page of each sheet of a book or pamphlet, as a direction to the binder in arranging and folding the sheets. (b) The printed sheet so marked, or the form from which it is printed; as, to reprint one or more signatures. Note: Star signatures (as A*, 1*) are the same characters, with the addition of asterisks, used on the first pages of offcuts, as in 12mo sheets. 7. (Pharm.) That part of a prescription which contains the directions to the patient. It is usually prefaced by S or Sig. (an abbreviation for the Latin signa, imperative of signare to sign or mark).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Signature Sig"na*ture, v. t. To mark with, or as with, a signature or signatures.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(signatures) 1. Your signature is your name, written in your own characteristic way, often at the end of a document to indicate that you wrote the document or that you agree with what it says. I was writing my signature at the bottom of the page. N-COUNT 2. A signature item is typical of or associated with a particular person. (mainly JOURNALISM) Rabbit stew is one of chef Giancarlo Moeri's signature dishes... ADJ: ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Stamp, mark, sign. 2. Sign-manual.

Moby Thesaurus

ID card, John Hancock, OK, Smyth sewing, X, accent, accent mark, acceptance, accommodation, acknowledgment, acknowledgments, adjustment, affirmance, affirmation, approbation, approval, arrangement, article, authentication, authorization, autograph, back, back matter, backing, badge, banner, bar, bastard title, bibliography, bibliopegy, binder board, binding, book, book cloth, book cover, book jacket, bookbinding, bookcase, by-line, calligram, calling card, cancel, card, case, casemaking, casing-in, catch line, catchword, certification, chapter, character, characteristic, christcross, cipher, citation, clause, closing, collating, collating mark, colophon, conclusion, confession, confirmation, contents, contents page, copyright page, countermark, countersign, countersignature, counterstamp, cover, credentials, credit line, cross, custos, dedication, device, differentia, direct, dog tag, dot, dust cover, dust jacket, earmark, endleaf, endorsement, endpaper, endsheet, errata, expression mark, fascicle, fermata, flyleaf, folding, folio, footband, fore edge, foreword, front matter, gathering, gluing-off, go-ahead, green light, half-title page, hallmark, hand, hard binding, head, headband, hold, identification, identification badge, identification tag, idiosyncrasy, image, imprimatur, imprint, index, indicant, indicator, initials, ink, inscription, insignia, introduction, jacket, key signature, keynote, lead, leaf, letter of introduction, library binding, ligature, lining, lining-up, makeup, mark, mark of signature, measure, mechanical binding, metronomic mark, monogram, niggerhead, nod, notarization, notation, note, number, okay, page, paragraph, passage, pause, peculiarity, perfect binding, permission, phrase, picture, plastic binding, preface, preliminaries, presa, press card, property, ratification, recto, reference, representation, representative, reverso, rounding, rubber stamp, running title, saddle stitching, sanction, seal, sealing, section, segno, sentence, serial number, settlement, sewing, sheet, side sewing, sigil, sign, sign manual, signal, signet, signing, slipcase, slipcover, slur, smashing, soft binding, solemnization, spiral binding, stamp, stamp of approval, stamping, stapling, subscribe, subscription, subtitle, sure sign, swell, symbol, symptom, table of contents, tail, tailband, telltale sign, tempo mark, tessera, text, the nod, theme song, tie, time signature, tipping, title, title page, trademark, trait, tribute, trim size, trimming, type page, validation, verse, verso, vinculum, visa, vise, visiting card, warrant, wire stitching, wrapper