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Mar 2, 2007

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This week's words
misology
virga
incunabulum
omphaloskepsis
paraph

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paraph

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

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?).

"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.

See more usage examples of paraph in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

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