signature means distinctive, characteristic, indicative of identity. It carries an Arena rating of 1535, earned across 4 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, signature ranks #198 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #1,577 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #3,735 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #5,542 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
signature is pronounced /ˈsɪɡ.nə.t͡ʃə/.
Why “signature” is a great word
A distinctive quality or characteristic that serves to identify a particular person or thing. Its etymology traces from Middle French signature or Medieval Latin signātūra, from Latin signāre ("to mark, sign"), from signum ("sign, mark") + -tūra (a suffix forming nouns of action or result), first attested in the 1530s in reference to a Scottish legal document. Unlike an "autograph," which is a handwritten name sought as a relic, or a "hallmark," an official stamp guaranteeing quality, a signature trait is the unwritten emblem of a unique presence. It is the particular crack in a singer's voice at the peak of a phrase, the habitual flourish at the end of a sentence, the unmistakable way a tailor knots his thread—the indelible mark left, consciously or simply by being, on the texture of the world.
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”).
adj
- Distinctive, characteristic, indicative of identity.e.g.“Rabbit in mustard sauce is my signature dish.”
noun
- A person's name, written by that person, used as identification or to signify approval of accompanying material, such as a legal contract.
- An act of signing one's name; an act of producing a signature.e.g.“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:
- The part of a doctor’s prescription containing directions for the patient.
- Signs on the stave indicating key and tempo, composed of the key signature and the time signature.
- A group of four (or a multiple of four) sheets printed such that, when folded, they become a section of a book.
- A pattern used for matching the identity of a virus, the parameter types of a method, etc.
- Data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source.
- A mark or sign of implication.e.g.“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:
- A distinguishing feature or product.e.g.“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:
- A tuple specifying the sign of coefficients in any diagonal form of a quadratic form.
- 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.
- 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.e.g.“Your signature must not exceed three lines of text, or 600 pixels in height.”
verb
- To sign with one's signature, to write one's signature on.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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