• Signature

    Pronunciation

    • UK IPA: /ˈsɪɡnÉ™tʃə/, /ˈsɪɡnɪtʃə/
    • US enPR: ′sÄ­gnÉ™chÉ™r, IPA: /ˈsɪɡnÉ™tʃɚ/, /ˈsɪɡnɪtʃɚ/

    Origin

    From French signature, from Latin signatura, future passive periphrastic of verb signare, "to sign", from signum, "sign", + -tura, feminine of -turus, future passive periphrastic suffix.

    Full definition of signature

    Noun

    signature

    (plural signatures)
    1. A person’s name, written by that person, used to signify approval of accompanying material, such as a legal contract.
      • 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate Chapter Prologue, 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.
    2. The act of signing one's name.
    3. (medicine) That part of a doctor’s prescription containing directions for the patient.
    4. (music) Signs on the stave indicating key and tempo
    5. (printing) A group of four (or a multiple of four) pages printed such that, when folded, become a section of a book
    6. (computing) A pattern used for matching the identity of a virus, the parameter types of a method, etc.
    7. (cryptography) Data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source.
    8. (figurative) A mark or sign of implication.
      • Richard Bentley (1662-1742)the natural and indelible signature of God, which human souls in their first origin are supposed to be stamped with
      • 1997: Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault, page 67, The Renaissance Episteme (Totem Books, Icon Books; ISBN 1840460865)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.
    9. (mathematics) A tuple specifying the number of coefficients of the same sign in any diagonal form of a quadratic form
    10. (medicine, 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.

    Adjective

    signature

    unusually not comparable
    1. distinctive, characteristic indicative of identity
      • 2001, Lawrence J. Vale, Sam Bass Warner, Imaging the city: continuing struggles and new directionsConsider Las Fallas of Valencia, Spain, arguably the most signature of signature ephemera.
      • 2005, Paul Duchscherer, Linda Svendsen, Beyond the bungalow: grand homes in the arts & crafts traditionConsidered the most signature effect of the Tudor Revival style, half-timbering derived its distinctive ...
      • 2005, Brett Dawson, Tales from the 2004-05 Fighting IlliniBut 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, ...
    2. Rabbit in mustard sauce is my signature dish.
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