Signature

7 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  


              The brain, being well furnished with various traces,
              signatures, and images.               --I. Watts.
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              The natural and indelible signature of God, which
              human souls . . . are supposed to be stamped with.
                                                    --Bentley.
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     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.
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     3. (Physiol.) An outward mark by which internal
        characteristics were supposed to be indicated.
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              Some plants bear a very evident signature of their
              nature and use.                       --Dr. H. More.
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     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.
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     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.
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     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.
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     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.
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     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).
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Signature \Sig"na*ture\, v. t.
     To mark with, or as with, a signature or signatures.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  signature
       n 1: your name written in your own handwriting
       2: a distinguishing style; "this room needs a woman's touch"
          [syn: {touch}]
       3: a melody used to identify a performer or a dance band or
          radio/tv program [syn: {signature tune}, {theme song}]
       4: the sharps or flats that follow the clef and indicate the
          key [syn: {key 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

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  239 Moby Thesaurus words for "signature":
     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
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  signature
       
          1. A set of function symbols with {arities}.
       
          2.  (Or sig) A few lines of information about the
          sender of an {electronic mail} message or {news} {posting}.
          Most {Unix} mail and news software will {automagically} append
          a signature from a file called .signature in the user's {home
          directory} to outgoing mail and news.
       
          A signature should give your real name and your {e-mail
          address} since, though these appear in the {headers} of your
          messages, they may be {munged} by intervening software.  It is
          currently (1994) hip to include the {URL} of your {home page}
          on the {World-Wide Web} in your sig.
       
          The composition of one's sig can be quite an art form,
          including an {ASCII} logo or one's choice of witty sayings
          (see {sig quote}, {fool file}).  However, large sigs are a
          waste of {bandwidth}, and it has been observed that the size
          of one's sig block is usually inversely proportional to one's
          prestige on the net.
       
          See also {doubled sig}, {sig virus}.
       
          2.  A concept very similar to {abstract base
          classes} except that they have their own {hierarchy} and can
          be applied to compiled {classes}.  Signatures provide a means
          of separating {subtyping} and {inheritance}.  They are
          implemented in {C++} as patches to {GCC} 2.5.2 by Gerald
          Baumgartner .
       
          {(ftp://ftp.cs.purdue.edu/pub/gb/)}.
       
          (2001-01-05)
       
       

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  SIGNATURE, eccl. law. The name of a sort of rescript, without seal, 
  containing the supplication, the signature of the pope or his delegate, and 
  the grant of a pardon Dict. Dr. Can. h.v. 
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  SIGNATURE, pract. contr. By signature is understood the act of putting down 
  a man's name, at the end of an instrument, to attest its validity. The name 
  thus written is also called a signature. 
       2. It is not necessary that a party should write his name himself, to 
  constitute a signature; his mark is now held sufficient though he was able 
  to write. 8 Ad. & El. 94; 3 N. & Per. 228; 3 Curt. 752; 5 John. 144, A 
  signature made by a party, another person guiding his band with his consent, 
  is sufficient. 4 Wash. C. C. 262, 269. Vide to Sign.