paraph
UK /ˈpaɹəf/ · US /ˈpɛrəf/ noun, verb
Forms paraphs paraphing paraphed
- noun A flourish made after or below one's signature, originally to prevent forgery.
- noun A mark used by medieval rubricators to indicate textual division.
- verb (transitive) To add a paraph to; to sign, especially with one's initials.
Synonyms
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English paraf, from Medieval Latin paraffus or its etymon Middle French paraphe, paraffe, shortening of paragraphe,
from Ancient Greek παράγραφος (parágraphos).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A flourish made with the pen at the end of a signature. In the Middle Ages, this formed a sort of rude safeguard against forgery.
- verb To add a paraph to; to sign, esp. with the initials.
Etymology [F. paraphe, parafe, contr. fr. paragraphe.]
Etymology [Cf. F. parapher, parafer.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “paraph”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details