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• colophon
  colophon

  noun

  a publisher's or printer's distinctive emblem, used as an identifying device on its books and other works.
• Colophon
  Colophon

  noun

  an ancient city in Asia Minor: one of the 12 Ionian cities banded together in the 8th century b.c.: largely depopulated in 286 b.c.

colophon

¹ American  

[kol-uh-fon, -fuhn] / ˈkɒl əˌfɒn, -fən /

noun

1. a publisher's or printer's distinctive emblem, used as an identifying device on its books and other works.

2. an inscription at the end of a book or manuscript, used especially in the 15th and 16th centuries, giving the title or subject of the work, its author, the name of the printer or publisher, and the date and place of publication.

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Colophon ² American  

[kol-uh-fon] / ˈkɒl əˌfɒn /

noun

1. an ancient city in Asia Minor: one of the 12 Ionian cities banded together in the 8th century b.c.: largely depopulated in 286 b.c.

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colophon British  

/ -fən, ˈkɒləˌfɒn /

noun

1. a publisher's emblem on a book

2. (formerly) an inscription at the end of a book showing the title, printer, date, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• colophonic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of colophon

1615–25; < Latin < Greek kolophṓn summit, finishing touch

Explanation

A colophon is the emblem, logo, or imprint of a publisher. Colophons often appear on the title page of a book. Businesses usually have distinctive logos, and publishers are no different. The emblem or imprint of a publisher is called a colophon, and you can think of it as their brand. A colophon appears on every book put out by a publisher, and it often appears on the spine of the book and/or on the title page. The colophon lets everyone know who published the book. This word is from Greek via Latin and originally meant "finishing touch."

Example Sentences

He once wrote a readable one: Curse in the Colophon.

From Time Magazine Archive

Persons who are literary-minded read magazines like The Bookman, The Saturday Review of Literature, The Colophon, But the booklover and the average reader may be completely different persons.

From Time Magazine Archive

The ruined family took refuge in Colophon, and there Epicurus joined them.

From Five Stages of Greek Religion by Murray, Gilbert

The founder was Xenophanes of Colophon, who came to Elea late in life, bringing with him the physical theories of the Ionian school, to which he added a metaphysic.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 2: Ebert to Estremadura by Various

The music of the flute was introduced into choric poetry in the first half of the sixth century by Polymnestus of Colophon, and Sakadas of Argos.

From The History of Antiquity, Vol. I (of VI) by Duncker, Max