5 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

signature

noun

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 The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Signature \Sig"na*ture\, verb (used with an object) To mark with, or as with, a signature or signatures.

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Signature \Sig"na*ture\, noun [F. (cf. It. signatura, segnatura, Sp. & LL. signatura), from L. signare, signatum. See {Sign}, verb (used with an object)]

1. A sign, stamp, or mark impressed, as by a seal.

The brain, being well furnished with various traces, signatures, and images. --I. Watts.

The natural and indelible signature of God, which human souls . . . are supposed to be stamped with. --Bentley.

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.

3. (Physiol.) An outward mark by which internal characteristics were supposed to be indicated.

Some plants bear a very evident signature of their nature and use. --Dr. H. More.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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)
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