signature
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsɪɡnət͡ʃə(ɹ)/
ipa: /ˈsɪɡnɪt͡ʃə(ɹ)/
enpr: sĭg′nəchər
enpr: sĭg′nĭchər
ipa: /ˈsɪɡnət͡ʃɚ/
ipa: /ˈsɪɡnɪt͡ʃɚ/
ipa: /ˈsɪɡnɪt͡ʃə(ɹ)/
note: Indic
ipa: /sɪɡˈnetʃə(ɾ)/
Forms: form: signatures
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French signature, or from Medieval Latin signātūra, future active periphrastic of verb signāre from signum (“sign”), + -tūra, feminine of -tūrus, future active periphrastic suffix. Displaced native Old English handseten (literally “hand setting”).
Senses: examples: text: Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language […] his clerks […] understood him very well. If he had written a love letter, or a farce, or a ballade, or a story, no one, either clerks, or friends, or compositors, would have understood anything but a word here and a word there. For his signature, however, that was different.
ref: 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
glosses: A person's name, written by that person, used as identification or to signify approval of accompanying material, such as a legal contract.
examples: text: IN COMMENTS during signature of the bill yesterday during “Agriculture Day” at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Thompson agreed with farmers that land needs to be protected.
ref: 1977, Illinois Information Service, Press Summary - Illinois Information Service, page 4287:
text: [She ate with herself] during the whole evening, during supper, during her signature of unintelligible papers at her father's desk, when he told her gruffly that she would now have an income of £350 a year minus income tax, which would return to her in some mysterious way […]
ref: 2011, Winifred Holtby, The Crowded Street, Virago, →ISBN:
glosses: An act of signing one's name; an act of producing a signature.
topics: medicine
sciences
glosses: The part of a doctor’s prescription containing directions for the patient.
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: Signs on the stave indicating key and tempo, composed of the key signature and the time signature.
topics: media
printing
publishing
glosses: A group of four (or a multiple of four) sheets printed such that, when folded, they become a section of a book.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: A pattern used for matching the identity of a virus, the parameter types of a method, etc.
topics: computing
cryptography
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: Data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source.
examples: text: the natural and indelible signature of God, which human souls […] are supposed to be stamped with
ref: 1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693:
text: The TACOM Vehicle Signature Reduction program is concerned with reducing the noise signature detectability of military vehicles in combat.
ref: 1975, United States. Office of Noise Abatement and Control, First Report on Status and Progress of Noise Research and Control Programs in the Federal Government, volume 1, pages 6–13:
text: A “signature” was placed on all things by God to indicate their affinities — but it was hidden, hence the search for arcane knowledge. Knowing was guessing and interpreting, not observing or demonstrating.
ref: 1997, Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault, Totem Books, Icon Books, →ISBN, The Renaissance Episteme, page 67:
glosses: A mark or sign of implication.
examples: text: A great beginning is the goose-liver terrine with truffles, one of the chef's signatures.
ref: 2000, Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince, Frommer's Rome 2001, page 97:
glosses: A distinguishing feature or product.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: A tuple specifying the sign of coefficients in any diagonal form of a quadratic form.
topics: medicine
sciences
glosses: A resemblance between the external character 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.
examples: text: Your signature must not exceed three lines of text, or 600 pixels in height.
text: forum signature generator
synonyms: sig
siggy
glosses: Text (or images, etc.) appended to a user's emails, newsgroup posts, forum posts, etc. as a way of adding a personal touch or including contact details.
Hyponyms: biosignature
Derived terms: blank signature
cut signature
digital signature
electronic signature
e-signature
isotope signature
isotopic signature
key signature
signature authority
signature-compatible
signature song
signature strike
signature tune
specimen signature
time signature
wet signature
Related terms: autograph