signature
American Heritage Dictionary:
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sig·na·ture
(sĭg'nə-chər) 
n.
n.
- One's name as written by oneself.
- The act of signing one's name.
- A distinctive mark, characteristic, or sound indicating identity: A surprise ending is the signature of an O. Henry short story.
- (Abbr. Sig. or S.) Medicine. The part of a physician's prescription containing directions to the patient.
- Music.
- A sign used to indicate key.
- A sign used to indicate tempo.
- Printing.
- A letter, number, or symbol placed at the bottom of the first page on each sheet of printed pages of a book as a guide to the proper sequence of the sheets in binding.
- A large sheet printed with four or a multiple of four pages that when folded becomes a section of the book.
[French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin signātūra, from Latin signātus, past participle of signāre, to mark, from signum, sign. See sign.]
Barron's Marketing Dictionary:
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signature
1. Folded sheet of printed paper constituting a set of pages in a publication. All signatures constitute a number of pages in a multiple of 4, such as 4, 8, or 16 pages. Signatures are gathered and bound, and the folds are trimmed away to produce a finished magazine, catalog, or book.
2. Song associated with a television or radio show or a product or service; also called theme song.
Oxford Dictionary of the US Military:
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signature
Any unique indicator of the presence of certain materiel or troops; especially the characteristic electronic emissions given off by a certain type of vehicle, radar, radio, or unit.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
Oxford Grove Music Encyclopedia:
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Signature
A sign or signs placed at the beginning of a composition. A key signature indicates which notes in the piece are to be sharpened or flattened; a time signature indicates its metre.
West's Encyclopedia of American Law:
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Signature
This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.
A mark or sign made by an individual on an instrument or document to signify knowledge, approval, acceptance, or obligation.
The term signature is generally understood to mean the signing of a written document with one's own hand. However, it is not critical that a signature actually be written by hand for it to be legally valid. It may, for example, be typewritten, engraved, or stamped. A signature consists of the act of writing one's name, coupled with the intention of authenticating the instrument or document signed. The purpose of a signature is to authenticate a writing, or provide notice of its source, and to bind the individual signing the writing by the provisions contained in the document.
Because a signature can obligate a party to terms of a contract or verify that the person intended to make a last will and testament, the law has developed rules that govern what constitutes a legally valid signature. The Internet and other forms of telecommunication have created the desire to transact legally binding agreements electronically. Some states are beginning to pass laws that recognize the validity of "digital signatures."
Requisites and Validity
When an instrument must be signed, it is ordinarily adequate if the signature is made in any commonly used manner. Variations between the signature and the name appearing in the body of the instrument do not automatically invalidate the instrument.
In the absence of a statutory prohibition, an individual can use any character, symbol, figure, or designation he wishes to adopt as a signature, and if he uses it as a substitute for his name, he is bound by it. For example, if a contract refers to "William Jones" but Jones signs his name "Bill Jones," the contract is still enforceable against him. An individual can also use a fictitious name or the name of a business firm. A signature might also be adequate to validate an instrument even if it is virtually illegible. The entire name does not have to be written, and the inclusion of a middle name is not significant.
An individual satisfies the signing requirement when someone who has been duly authorized to sign for him does so. In the event a statute mandates an instrument be signed in person, the signature must be made in the signer's own hand or at his request and in his presence by another individual.
In a situation where an individual intends to sign as a witness but instead inadvertently signs the instrument in the place where the principal is to sign, the fact that she should have signed as a witness can be shown. Conversely when a signer intends to sign as a principal but instead signs in the place for a witness, that fact can also be shown.
Abbreviations, Initials, or Mark
In situations that do not require a more complete signature, an instrument can be properly signed when the initial letter or letters of the given name or names are used together with the surname (J. Doe), when only the full surname is used (Doe), when only the given name is used (John), or even when only the initials are used (J. D.).
A mark is ordinarily a cross or X made in substitution for the signature of an individual who is unable to write. In the absence of contrary statutory provision, a mark can be used by an individual who knows how to write but is unable to do so because of a physical illness or disability. A mark has the same binding effect upon the individual making it as does a signature. In some statutes a signature is defined as including a mark made by an individual who is infirm or illiterate.
Generally the name of the person who makes her mark can be written by anyone, and the mark is not necessarily invalidated because the individual writing the name accompanying the mark misspells the name or because the words stating that the symbol is intended as a mark are omitted. In the absence of a statute that requires a name to accompany the mark, the validity of the mark as a signature is not affected by the fact that a name does not accompany it.
When a mark is used as a signature, it can be put wherever the signature can appear. When there is a requirement that the name must accompany the mark, the fact that the mark and the name are not in immediate proximity does not invalidate the mark.
Certain statutes mandate that a witness must attest to a signature made by a mark. Under such statutes, if the mark is not properly witnessed, the instrument is not signed and is legally ineffective. These laws were enacted to prevent fraud, because it is difficult, if not impossible, to later determine if the alleged signer actually made the mark.
Hand of Party or Another
A signature can be written by the hand of the purported signer, either through the signer's unaided efforts or with the aid of another individual who guides the signer's pen or pencil. In cases when the maker's hand is guided or steadied, the signature is the maker's act, not the act of the assisting individual.
A signature can generally be made by one individual for another in her presence and at her direction, or with her assent, unless prohibited by statute. A signature that is made in this manner is valid, and the individual writing the name is regarded merely as an instrument through which the party whose signature is written exercises personal discretion and acts for herself.
Method
Ordinarily a signature can be affixed in a number of different ways. It can be hand written, printed, stamped, typewritten, engraved, or photographed. This allows, for example, a business to issue its payroll checks with the signature of its financial officer stamped rather than handwritten.
Digital Signatures
The computer and telecommunications have changed how work is done and how it is exchanged. Both business and the legal system have begun to explore ways of using the Internet and other forms of electronic communication to transact work. Court systems cannot permit the electronic filing of legal documents, however, unless the documents have been authenticated as coming from the sender. Similarly, businesses will not enter into contracts using the Internet or electronic mail unless they can authenticate that the other contracting party actually made the agreement. Computers and digital scanners can reproduce handwritten signatures, but they are susceptible to forgery.
A proposed solution is the legal recognition of "digital signatures." By 1997 five states had enacted laws that recognize the validity of digital signatures and thus bind parties to agreements or documents signed electronically.
A digital signature is based on cryptography, which uses mathematical formulas, or algorithms, to scramble messages. Using encryption and decryption software, the sender can scramble the message and the recipient can unscramble it. To affix a digital signature to an electronic document, a signer must obtain electronic "keys." The keys are assigned in pairs: a private key and a public key.
A person creates his keys using a software program. The digital signature is affixed to the electronic document using the private key. The "signer" types in a password, similar to a personal identification number for an automatic teller machine. The private key then generates a long string of numbers and letters that represent the digital signature, or public key. The recipient of the message runs a software program using this public key to authenticate that the document was signed by the private key and that the document has not been altered during transmission.
It is mathematically infeasible for a person to derive another person's private key. The only way to compromise a digital signature is to give another person access to the signature software and the password to the private key.
See: authentication.
Word Tutor:
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signature
IN BRIEF: A person's name as handwritten by that person.
All that was between her and a new house was her signature on the mortgage papers.
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Aviation:
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signature
i. The characteristic pattern of a target displayed by detection and identification equipment. It can be a radar, IR (infrared), acoustic, or Doppler signature. See also radar signature.
An example of infrared signature of a helicopter.
ii. As it relates to air-photo interpretation, it is the visual characteristics of objects on an air photograph that allow one to differentiate them. These characteristics include the tone, shape, size, pattern, texture, and shadow. Tone refers to the relative brightness or colors of an object in an image. Generally, tone is a fundamental element for distinguishing between different targets or features. Variations in tone also allow the elements of the shape, texture, and pattern of objects to be distinguished. Shape refers to the general form, structure, or outline of individual objects. Shape can be a very distinctive clue for interpretation. Straight-edge shapes typically represent urban or agricultural targets, whereas natural features, such as forest edges, are generally more irregular in shape. The size of objects in an image is a function of scale. It is important to assess the size of a target relative to other objects in a scene to aid in the interpretation of that target. Pattern refers to the spatial arrangement of the visibly discernible objects. Typically, an orderly repetition of similar tones and texture will produce a distinctive and ultimately recognizable pattern. Orchards with evenly spaced trees and urban streets with regularly spaced houses are good examples of pattern. Texture refers to the arrangement and frequency of tonal variation in a particular area of the image. Rough textures would consist of a mottled tone where gray levels change abruptly in a small area, whereas smooth textures would have very little tonal variation. Shadow is also helpful in interpretation, as it may provide an idea of the profile and relative height of a target(s).
ii. As it relates to air-photo interpretation, it is the visual characteristics of objects on an air photograph that allow one to differentiate them. These characteristics include the tone, shape, size, pattern, texture, and shadow. Tone refers to the relative brightness or colors of an object in an image. Generally, tone is a fundamental element for distinguishing between different targets or features. Variations in tone also allow the elements of the shape, texture, and pattern of objects to be distinguished. Shape refers to the general form, structure, or outline of individual objects. Shape can be a very distinctive clue for interpretation. Straight-edge shapes typically represent urban or agricultural targets, whereas natural features, such as forest edges, are generally more irregular in shape. The size of objects in an image is a function of scale. It is important to assess the size of a target relative to other objects in a scene to aid in the interpretation of that target. Pattern refers to the spatial arrangement of the visibly discernible objects. Typically, an orderly repetition of similar tones and texture will produce a distinctive and ultimately recognizable pattern. Orchards with evenly spaced trees and urban streets with regularly spaced houses are good examples of pattern. Texture refers to the arrangement and frequency of tonal variation in a particular area of the image. Rough textures would consist of a mottled tone where gray levels change abruptly in a small area, whereas smooth textures would have very little tonal variation. Shadow is also helpful in interpretation, as it may provide an idea of the profile and relative height of a target(s).
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary:
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signature
That part of a drug prescription that gives directions to be followed by the patient in its use.
- root s. — see root signature.
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'signature'
- Publishing - signature: folded, printed sheets to be bound into book pages
- Books and Pages - signature: sheet of foolscap folded into leaves of book pages
- Harmony, Melody, and Structure - signature: arrangement of sharps and flats on staff to indicate key; numerical indication of beats per measure
- Radio Programming - signature: station identification, jingle, or slogan
- Printing and Typefaces - signature: letter or symbol placed at foot of first page of every sheet to guide binder in folding and gathering; printed sheet folded to page size for binding
See crossword solutions for the clue Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Signature
This article is about the handwritten mark. For other uses, see Signature (disambiguation).
For the use of signatures in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Signatures.
A signature (from Latin: signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a signature is a signatory. Similar to a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying its creator. A signature may be confused with an autograph, which is chiefly an artistic signature. This can lead to confusion when people have both an autograph and signature and as such some people in the public eye keep their signatures private whilst fully publishing their autograph.
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Contents
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Function and types of signatures
The traditional function of a signature is evidential: it is to give evidence of:
- The provenance of the document (identity)
- The intention (will) of an individual with regard to that document
For example, the role of a signature in many consumer contracts is not solely to provide evidence of the identity of the contracting party, but also to provide evidence of deliberation and informed consent.
In many countries, signatures may be witnessed and recorded in the presence of a notary public to carry additional legal force. On legal documents, an illiterate signatory can make a "mark" (often an "X" but occasionally a personalized symbol), so long as the document is countersigned by a literate witness. In some countries, illiterate people place a thumbprint on legal documents in lieu of a written signature.
There are many other terms which are synonymous with 'signature'. In the United States, one is John Hancock, named after the first of the signatories of the United States Declaration of Independence.[1]
The signature of a famous person is sometimes known as an autograph, and is then typically written on its own or with a brief note to the recipient. Rather than providing authentication for a document, the autograph is given as a souvenir which acknowledges the recipient's access to the autographer.
In the United States, signatures encompass marks and actions of all sorts that are indicative of identity and intent. The legal rule is that unless a statute specifically prescribes a particular method of making a signature it may be made in any number of ways. These include by a mechanical or rubber stamp facsimile. A signature may be made by the purported signatory; alternatively someone else duly authorized by the signatory, acting in the signer's presence and at the signatory's direction, may make the signature.[2]
Many individuals have much more fanciful signatures than their normal cursive writing, including elaborate ascenders, descenders and exotic flourishes, much as one would find in calligraphic writing. As an example, the final "k" in John Hancock's famous signature on the US Declaration of Independence loops back to underline his name. This kind of flourish is also known as a paraph.[3][4]
Mechanically produced signatures
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This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
Special signature machines, called autopens, are capable of automatically reproducing an individual's signature. These are typically used by people required to ebrities, heads of state or CEOs.
More recently, Members of Congress in the United States have begun having their signature made into a TrueType font file. This allows staff members in the Congressman's office to easily reproduce it on correspondence, legislation, and official documents.
In the East Asia languages of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, people typically use name-seals with the name written in tensho script (seal script) in lieu of a handwritten signature.
Several cultures whose languages use writing systems other than alphabets do not share the Western notion of signatures per se: the "signing" of one's name results in a written product no different from the result of "writing" one's name in the standard way. For these languages, to write or to sign involves the same written characters. Also see Calligraphy.
In e-mail and newsgroup usage, another type of signature exists which is independent of one's language. Users can set one or more lines of custom text known as a signature block to be automatically appended to their messages. This text usually includes a name, contact information, and sometimes quotations and ASCII art. A shortened form of a signature block, only including one's name, often with some distinguishing prefix, can be used to simply indicate the end of a post or response. Some web sites also allow graphics to be used. Note, however, that this type of signature is not related to electronic signatures or digital signatures, which are more technical in nature and not directly readable by human eyes.
Other uses
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This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
The signature on a painting or other work of art has always been an important item in the assessment of art. Fake signatures are sometimes added to enhance the value of a painting, or are added to a fake painting to support its authenticity. A notorious case was the signature of Johannes Vermeer on the fake "Supper at Emmaus" made by the art-forger Han van Meegeren.
The term "signature" is also used to mean the characteristics that give an object, or a piece of information, its identity—for example, the shape of a Coca-Cola bottle.
By analogy, the word "signature" may be used to refer to the characteristic expression of a process or thing. For example, the climate phenomenon known as ENSO or El Niño has characteristic modes in different ocean basins which are often referred to as the "signature" of ENSO.
Copyright
Under British law, the appearance of signatures (not the names themselves) may be protected under copyright law.[5]
Under United States Copyright Law, "titles, names [...]; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, or coloring" are not eligible for copyright;[6] however, the appearance of signatures (not the names themselves) may be protected under copyright law.[7] It has been deemed illegal to publish signatures[clarification needed] in Canada.[citation needed]
See also
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Look up signature in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
This audio file was created from a revision of the "Signature" article dated 2006-05-21, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)
- Autograph
- Autograph club
- Biometric signature as form of the Electronic signature
- Cryptographic (digital) signature using Public key infrastructure
- Diabolical signature, said to identify the demons in diabolical pacts
- Images of signatures
- manu propria (m.p.)
- Mobile Signature
- Royal sign-manual
- Signature (wealth manager)
- Signature move
- Tughra
References
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary, accessed May 3, 2011.
- ^ 80 Corpus Juris Secundum, Signatures, sections 2 through 7
- ^ Paraphe, also spelled parafe, is a term meaning flourish, initial or signature in French (Paraphe entry, reverso translation software, based on the Collins French-English Dictionary, Harpercollins, Flexible edition, August 1990, ISBN 0-06-275508-0).
- ^ The paraph is used in graphology analyses.
- ^ Spilsbury, Sallie (2000). Media Law. Cavendish Publishing. p. p. 439. ISBN 1-85941-530-X. "An individual's signature may be protected under law as an artistic work. If so, the unauthorised reproduction of the signature will infringe copyright. The name itself will not be protected by copyright; it is the appearance of the signature which is protected."
- ^ "Copyright Basics", United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ^ Spilsbury, Sallie (2000). Media Law. Cavendish Publishing. p. 439. ISBN 1-85941-530-X. "An individual's signature may be protected under law as an artistic work. If so, the unauthorised reproduction of the signature will infringe copyright. The name itself will not be protected by copyright; it is the appearance of the signature which is protected."
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations:
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Signature
Dansk (Danish)
n. - underskrift, signatur, navnetræk, mærke
idioms:
- signature tune kendingsmelodi
Nederlands (Dutch)
handtekening, ondertekening, signatuur
Français (French)
n. - signature
idioms:
- signature on the dotted line accord complet sur les modalités (d'un contrat)
- signature tune indicatif
Deutsch (German)
n. - Unterschrift, Signatur, Bogen
idioms:
- signature on the dotted line Unterschrift auf der punktierten Linie
- signature tune Erkennungsmelodie
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - υπογραφή, (ΗΠΑ) οδηγία χρήσεως φαρμάκου, (μουσ.) οπλισμός κλειδιού, (στρατ.) στίγμα παρουσίας αντικείμενου σε οθόνη ραντάρ, (τυπογρ.) αρίθμηση τυπογραφικού φύλλου, (καθομ.) χαρακτηριστικό σήμα εκπομπής
idioms:
- signature tune χαρακτηριστικό μουσικό σήμα (εκπομπής)
idioms:
- signature tune sigla musicale
Português (Portuguese)
n. - assinatura (f), rubrica (f)
idioms:
- signature tune sinal de clave (Mús.)
- time signature sinal de marcação de tempo (Mús.)
Русский (Russian)
(собственноручная) подпись, автограф, подписание, подписывать
idioms:
- signature tune мелодия возвещающая начало и конец передачи, музыкальная заставка
- time signature (муз.) тактовый размер
Español (Spanish)
n. - firma, rúbrica, armadura
idioms:
- signature on the dotted line firmar sin discutir, firmar como cosa de
- signature tune sintonía
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - signatur, namnteckning, underskrift
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
签名, 签字, 签署
idioms:
- signature tune 音调
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 簽名, 簽字, 簽署
idioms:
- signature tune 音調
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 서명, (방송 프로의) 테마음악, 조표
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 署名, 折り丁, テーマ音楽
idioms:
- signature tune テーマソング, テーマ音楽
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) توقيع
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - חתימה, אות, קונטרס, גיליון מקופל (בדפוס)
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American Heritage 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.
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Barron's Marketing Dictionary
Dictionary of Marketing Terms. Copyright © 2000 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Oxford Dictionary of the US Military
The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Oxford Grove Music Encyclopedia
The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved.
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West's Encyclopedia of American Law
West's Encyclopedia of American Law. Copyright © 1998 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation.. Copyright © 2005 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Signature.
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