serif

[ ser-if ]

/ ˈsɛr ɪf /

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noun Printing.

a smaller line used to finish off a main stroke of a letter, as at the top and bottom of M.

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SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

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Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Also especially British, cer·iph .

Origin of serif

1835–45; perhaps <Dutch schreef line (in writing), akin to schrijven to write

Words nearby serif

series, series circuit, series comma, series resonance, series-wound, serif, serigraph, serin, serine, seringa, Seringapatam

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use serif in a sentence

The bold contrasting strokes, strong verticality and easily recognizable serifs and ball terminals were perfectly suited for advertisements, posters and signs in the early 20th century.
TIME Releases 3 Special Edition NFT Magazine Covers for Auction|TIME Staff|March 22, 2021|Time
GNL loses one for the ugh quality of its sans serif supered on sickly green and gray tints.
Newspaper Wars: The Times vs. The Journal, Day 3|Harold Evans|April 28, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Text shown in bold sans-serif type was printed in blackletter (Gothic).
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman|Laurence Sterne
Text in sans-serif type was originally printed in blackletter (Gothic, Old English).
The Path-Way to Knowledg|Robert Record

The parts originally printed in Roman type are here shown in a sans-serif font to keep the visual distinction.
A Treatise of the Cohabitation Of the Faithful with the Unfaithful|Peter Martyr
A very thin line or serif is apt to be lost in the background.
Writing & Illuminating, & Lettering|Edward Johnston
New Zealand stamps overprinted "Samoa" in sans-serif type 2mm.
The Postage Stamp in War|Fred. J. Melville

British Dictionary definitions for serif

serif

rarely seriph

/ (ˈsɛrɪf) /

noun

printing a small line at the extremities of a main stroke in a type character

Word Origin for serif

C19: perhaps from Dutch schreef dash, probably of Germanic origin, compare Old High German screvōn to engrave

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012