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paraph

 
Dictionary: par·aph   (păr'əf, pə-ră') pronunciation

n.
A flourish made after or below a signature, originally to prevent forgery.

[French paraphe, from Old French paraffe, abbreviated signature, from Medieval Latin paraphus, paragraph sign, short for paragraphus. See paragraph.]


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Wordsmith Words: paraph
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(PAR-uhf, puh-RAF)

noun
A flourish at the end of a signature, originally as a precaution against forgery.

Etymology
Via French and Latin from Greek paragraphos (a line showing a break in sense or a change of speakers), from para- (beside) + graphein (write). Ultimately from the Indo-European root gerbh- (to scratch), which also gave us crab, crayfish, carve, crawl, grammar, anagram, program, and graphite

Examples of paraphs (would that be paraphernalia?) : artlex.com/ArtLex/P.html#anchor5714739.

Usage
"This was a considerable feat in that he had recognised not only the initial upon the bedcloth, but its unique paraph in one corner." — Linda Berdoll; Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife; Landmark; 2004.


Obscure Words: paraph
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a flourish at the end of a signature
WordNet: paraph
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a flourish added after or under your signature (originally to protect against forgery)


 
 
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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Obscure Words. © 2008 by Michael A. Fischer http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more