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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

signature en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ˈsɪɡ.nə.t͡ʃɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
  • sĭg′nəchər (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈsəɡ.nə.t͡ʃə/ (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nə.t͡ʃə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • sĭg′nĭchər (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃə/ (Australia)
  • (Southern-England) audio

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”).

Meanings

  1. (not-comparable, usually) Distinctive, characteristic, indicative of identity.
    • The signature route of the airline is its daily flight between Buenos Aires and Madrid.
    • But it was perhaps the most signature shot Williams ever made in an Illinois uniform, a bullying basket in which he used his power to pound Stoudamire,[…]. 2005, Brett Dawson, Tales from the 2004-05 Fighting Illini:
    • Rabbit in mustard sauce is my signature dish.
    • Consider Las Fallas of Valencia, Spain, arguably the most signature of signature ephemera. 2001, Lawrence J. Vale, Sam Bass Warner, Imaging the city: continuing struggles and new directions:
    • Considered the most signature effect of the Tudor Revival style, half-timbering derived its distinctive[…]. 2005, Paul Duchscherer, Linda Svendsen, Beyond the bungalow: grand homes in the arts & crafts tradition:
    • Restaurant staff were in the process of serving Le Caprice's signature dessert: frozen berries with a hot white chocolate sauce. 2025 June 14, Orlando Whitfield, “How to survive a gallery dinner (and not embarrass yourself)”, in FT Weekend (Collecting section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 10:
    • He credited his wife, who is British, for giving him the inspiration for Tigger’s signature phrase: TTFN. TA-TA for now. 2005 June 27, “Paul Winchell Dead At Age 82”, in CBS News, archived from the original on 23 Oct 2007:
    • In its gallant effort to shun the mass-market fragrance industry for something more personal, Le Labo has, unwittingly, created the most ubiquitous scent in fashion; a signature scent that is so signature you can recognize it in every city in the world[…]. 2015 November 16, Olivia Fleming, “That Perfume You Smell Everywhere Is Santal 33”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more signature Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most signature Degree=Sup lexicographic

Synonyms

iconic

Translations (1)

ru фи́рменный (Distinctive, characteristic, indicative of identity)

signature en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈsɪɡ.nə.t͡ʃɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
  • sĭg′nəchər (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈsəɡ.nə.t͡ʃə/ (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nə.t͡ʃə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • sĭg′nĭchər (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃə/ (Australia)
  • (Southern-England) audio

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”).

Meanings

  1. A person's name, written by that person, used as identification or to signify approval of accompanying material, such as a legal contract.
    • 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. 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
  2. An act of signing one's name; an act of producing a signature.
    • 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. 1977, Illinois Information Service, Press Summary - Illinois Information Service, page 4287:
    • [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 […] 2011, Winifred Holtby, The Crowded Street, Virago, →ISBN:
  3. The part of a doctor’s prescription containing directions for the patient.
  4. Signs on the stave indicating key and tempo, composed of the key signature and the time signature.
  5. A group of four (or a multiple of four) sheets printed such that, when folded, they become a section of a book.
  6. A pattern used for matching the identity of a virus, the parameter types of a method, etc.
  7. Data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source.
  8. (figuratively) A mark or sign of implication.
    • the natural and indelible signature of God, which human souls […] are supposed to be stamped with 1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693:
    • The TACOM Vehicle Signature Reduction program is concerned with reducing the noise signature detectability of military vehicles in combat. 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:
    • 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. 1997, Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault, Totem Books, Icon Books, →ISBN, The Renaissance Episteme, page 67:
  9. A distinguishing feature or product.
    • A great beginning is the goose-liver terrine with truffles, one of the chef's signatures. 2000, Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince, Frommer's Rome 2001, page 97:
  10. A tuple specifying the sign of coefficients in any diagonal form of a quadratic form.
  11. (obsolete) 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.
  12. (Internet) 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.
    • forum signature generator
    • Your signature must not exceed three lines of text, or 600 pixels in height.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
signatures Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

signature-compatible · technosignature · electronic signature · wet signature · digital signature · specimen signature · signatureless · blank signature · immunosignature · signature tune · cut signature · signaturist · isotope signature · nonsignature · e-signature · isotopic signature · presignature · key signature · signature strike · neurosignature · signature authority · unsignatured · countersignature · signatural · time signature · subsignature · signature song · multisignature

Hyponyms

biosignature

Relateds

autograph

Synonyms

sig · siggy · John Hancock · John Henry

Translations (176)

pl podpisywanie (act of signing) · gl sinatura (person’s autograph name) · my ဆိုင်း (person’s autograph name) · ba ҡул ҡуйыу (act of signing) · ota امضا (person’s autograph name) · ru авто́граф (person’s autograph name) · cmn 簽名 /签名 (computing: pattern used for matching identity) · ja サイン (person’s autograph name) · tg имзо (person’s autograph name) · pt assinatura (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · kk қол (person’s autograph name) · nci fīrma (person’s autograph name) · tk gol (person’s autograph name) · uz qoʻl (person’s autograph name) · fi allekirjoitus (person’s autograph name) · bn দস্তখত (medicine: part of a doctor’s prescription) · kmr îmza (person’s autograph name) · sw saini (person’s autograph name) · hu aláírás (act of signing) · sv underskrift (person’s autograph name) · th ลายเซ็น (person’s autograph name) · hu aláírás (person’s autograph name) · da underskrift (person’s autograph name) · as চহী (person’s autograph name) · tt имза (person’s autograph name) · mr स्वाक्षरी (person’s autograph name) · si අත්සන (person’s autograph name) · cs podpis (person’s autograph name) · fi varmenne (cryptography: data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source) · mn гарын үсэг (person’s autograph name) · nb signatur (person’s autograph name) · fi tunniste (computing: pattern used for matching identity) · yi חתימה (person’s autograph name) · km ហត្ថលេខា (person’s autograph name) · fa-ira تُوْقیع (person’s autograph name) · gl firma (person’s autograph name) · mr सही (person’s autograph name) · tl pagpirma (act of signing) · lt parašas (person’s autograph name) · gd ainm-sgrìobhte (person’s autograph name) · ru подпи́сывание (act of signing) · vro allkiri (person’s autograph name) · tl lagda (person’s autograph name) · mi mokotā (person’s autograph name) · fi etumerkintä (music: signs indicating key and tempo) · fa-ira تُوْشیح (person’s autograph name) · bn দস্তখত (act of signing) · ru тетра́дь (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · fi otsikko (computing: pattern used for matching identity) · sk podpis (person’s autograph name) · ba имза (person’s autograph name) · nl katern (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · sl podpis (person’s autograph name) · fi merkki (figurative: mark or sign of implication) · ug ئىمزا (person’s autograph name) · nb underskrift (person’s autograph name) · alt кол салар (person’s autograph name) · ro semnătură (person’s autograph name) · uk пі́дпис (person’s autograph name) · ar إِمْضَاء (person’s autograph name) · pt assinatura (person’s autograph name) · lv paraksts (person’s autograph name) · az imza (person’s autograph name) · bg подпи́сване (act of signing) · el υπογραφή (person’s autograph name) · ga síniú (person’s autograph name) · ba ҡултамға (person’s autograph name) · ta கையொப்பம் (person’s autograph name) · fa-ira اِمْضاء (person’s autograph name) · fo undirskrift (person’s autograph name) · ps توشيح (person’s autograph name) · vi chữ ký (person’s autograph name) · de Unterschrift (person’s autograph name) · it firma (person’s autograph name) · ang handseten (person’s autograph name) · bn স্বাক্ষর (person’s autograph name) · ja 署名 (person’s autograph name) · ota امضا (act of signing) · eo subskribo (person’s autograph name) · ota پنچه (person’s autograph name) · fr signature (cryptography: data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source) · lad sinyatura (person’s autograph name) · tl paglagda (act of signing) · cmn 簽名 /签名 (person’s autograph name) · fr signature (act of signing) · fr signature (mathematics: type of tuple) · es rúbrica (person’s autograph name) · id kuras (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · ru подпись (cryptography: data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source) · id paraf (person’s autograph name) · nrf sîngne (person’s autograph name) · lo ລາຍເຊັນ (person’s autograph name) · mi hainatanga (person’s autograph name) · fr signature (computing: pattern used for matching identity) · ur دَسْتْخَط (person’s autograph name) · de Druckbogen (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · ms tandatangan (person’s autograph name) · fa-ira اِمْضا (person’s autograph name) · nn signatur (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · ca signatura (person’s autograph name) · ko 사인 (person’s autograph name) · sh pòtpis (person’s autograph name) · fi tunnusmerkki (figurative: mark or sign of implication) · te సంతకము (person’s autograph name) · kk қолтаңба (person’s autograph name) · af handtekening (person’s autograph name) · ru сигнату́ра (computing: pattern used for matching identity) · ar تَوْقِيع (person’s autograph name) · cmn 簽名 /签名 (cryptography: data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source) · pl sygnatura (computing: pattern used for matching identity) · hsb podpis (person’s autograph name) · dsb pódpis (person’s autograph name) · hi हस्ताक्षर (person’s autograph name) · om mallattoo (person’s autograph name) · fr signature (person’s autograph name) · bg по́дпис (person’s autograph name) · de Signatur (person’s autograph name) · ca quadern (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · bn দস্তখত (person’s autograph name) · my လက်မှတ် (person’s autograph name) · cy llofnod (person’s autograph name) · cmn 署名 (person’s autograph name) · af handtekening (act of signing) · sh по̀тпис (person’s autograph name) · is undirskrift (person’s autograph name) · nrf sîngnatuthe (person’s autograph name) · hy ստորագրություն (person’s autograph name) · bg ключ (music: signs indicating key and tempo) · ka ხელმოწერა (person’s autograph name) · mk по́тпис (person’s autograph name) · tl pirma (person’s autograph name) · pl podpis (person’s autograph name) · uz imzo (person’s autograph name) · ps دستخط (person’s autograph name) · ko 서명 (person’s autograph name) · cmn 簽字 /签字 (person’s autograph name) · rue підпис (person’s autograph name) · hi दस्तख़त (person’s autograph name) · de Signatur (computing: pattern used for matching identity) · ky кол (person’s autograph name) · ps امضا (person’s autograph name) · id tanda tangan (person’s autograph name) · uk підписа́ння (act of signing) · fi allekirjoittaminen (act of signing) · kn ಸಹಿ (person’s autograph name) · izh raspiska (person’s autograph name) · ru ро́спись (person’s autograph name) · fi nimikirjoitus (person’s autograph name) · sq nënshkrim (person’s autograph name) · kw sinans (person’s autograph name) · an sinyadura (act of signing) · et allkiri (person’s autograph name) · be по́дпіс (person’s autograph name) · tr imza (person’s autograph name) · pam tandang gamat (person’s autograph name) · ur اِمْضا (person’s autograph name) · pl sygnatura (cryptography: data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source) · an sinyadura (person’s autograph name) · sv signatur (person’s autograph name) · nl handtekening (person’s autograph name) · fa-ira دَسْتینِه (person’s autograph name) · pt firma (person’s autograph name) · fr cahier (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · la subscriptiō (person’s autograph name) · es signatura (person’s autograph name) · es pliego (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · ro coală (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · ar تَوْقِيع (act of signing) · ur دَسْت خَط (person’s autograph name) · bg сигнату́ра (printing: four or multiple of four pages folded to form a section of a book) · es firma (person’s autograph name) · ru по́дпись (act of signing) · cmn 花押 (person’s autograph name) · ta கையெழுத்து (person’s autograph name) · ru по́дпись (person’s autograph name) · he חֲתִימָה (person’s autograph name)

signature en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈsɪɡ.nə.t͡ʃɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
  • sĭg′nəchər (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈsəɡ.nə.t͡ʃə/ (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nə.t͡ʃə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • sĭg′nĭchər (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈsɪɡ.nɪ.t͡ʃə/ (Australia)
  • (Southern-England) audio

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”).

Meanings

  1. (ambitransitive) To sign with one's signature, to write one's signature on.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
signaturing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
signatures Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
signatured Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
signatured Tense=Past lexicographic

Synonyms

sign