■ noun
1》 a person's name written in a distinctive way as a form of identification or authorization.
↘the action of signing a document.
2》 a distinctive product or characteristic by which someone or something can be identified.
3》 Music short for key ~ or time ~ .
4》 Printing a letter or figure printed at the foot of one or more pages of each sheet of a book as a guide in binding.
↘a printed sheet after being folded to form a group of pages.
5》 N. Amer. the part of a medical prescription that gives instructions about the use of the medicine or drug prescribed.
Origin
C16: from med. L. signatura 'sign manual', from L. signare 'to sign, mark'.