Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

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

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In diplomatics, the figure formed by a flourish of a pen at the conclusion of a signature, formerly used as a precaution against forgers; the flourish.
  • To append a paraph to: hence, to sign, especially with the signer's initials. Also paragraph.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To add a paraph to; to sign, esp. with the initials.
  • 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.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A flourish made after or below one's signature, originally to prevent forgery.
  • verb transitive To add a paraph to; to sign, especially with one's initials.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a flourish added after or under your signature (originally to protect against forgery)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

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

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Examples

  • In my last paraph I did not intend to imply that I am or could ever be a father, I meant only to suggest that I can understand how a muy macho studmuffin might be justly proud of his way with the Laydeeze.

    Are we a Christian Nation? 2009

  • "He has now added this crown and this paraph to his coat-of-arms," said

    Henry VIII and His Court Henry Niles Pierce 1843

  • "Yes, he bears the royal arms on his shield, but yet, if we remember rightly, the crown and paraph of our ancestor Edward the Third are wanting."

    Henry VIII and His Court Henry Niles Pierce 1843

  • The youthful paraph under the signature, the symmetry, the feminine curves of the handwriting are some of the elements to look for.

    Forbes.com: News Nathan Raab 2011

  • If your Xbox 360 avatar appears unfulfilled despite a virtual closet packed with game-related paraph ...

    *Shacknews* Games 2009

  • If your Xbox 360 avatar appears unfulfilled despite a virtual closet packed with game-related paraph ...

    *Shacknews* Games 2009

  • If your Xbox 360 avatar appears unfulfilled despite a virtual closet packed with game-related paraph ...

    *Shacknews* Games 2009

  • If your Xbox 360 avatar appears unfulfilled despite a virtual closet packed with game-related paraph ...

    *Shacknews* Games 2009

  • *rummages around closet looking for Viking paraph…paraf…stuff*

    I has a flava flav - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008

  • 'Priam's lamentation, — — lamentations of Hecuba, &c.' ■ paraph rafe on Horace,

    The Works of the English Poets 1779

Comments

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  • paraph a paraph is worth a graph

    January 13, 2007

  • a flourish made after a signature

    February 26, 2007

  • Discarded to hasten our pace

    Are many old gestures of grace.

    A gent's autograph

    Forsakes the paraph,

    Appending instead a smiley face.

    January 26, 2016