sign manual

American  

noun

signs manual plural

1. a personal signature, especially that of a sovereign or official on a public document.

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sign manual British  

noun

1. law a person's signature in his own hand, esp that of a sovereign on an official document

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• signs manual
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sign manual

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

But another form of sign manual also arose out of the subscription.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5 "Dinard" to "Dodsworth" by Various

But their sign manual went no farther, for they now approached the house which evidently formed the dwelling and office of Coronel Nunes.

From The Pathless Trail by Friel, Arthur O. (Arthur Olney)

The sign manual of membership is a cross tattooed on forehead, chin or back.

From Through Our Unknown Southwest by Laut, Agnes C. (Agnes Christina)

But he refused to ponder on how Dalis the betrayer had gained possession of the secret sign manual he had believed known only to Jaska and himself.

From Astounding Stories of Super-Science July 1930 by Bates, Harry

Demonstration is the sign manual of knowledge; Dogmatism the arrogance of ignorance.

From The New Avatar and The Destiny of the Soul The Findings of Natural Science Reduced to Practical Studies in Psychology by Buck, J. D. (Jirah Dewey)