colophon
/ˈkɒləfən//ˈkɑləˌfɑn/
colophon noun: in manuscripts (typically before the invention of printing), the note, usually at the end, left by the scribe who copied it, giving information on his exemplar, where and when the copy was made, and sometimes, his own name.
Noun
colophon (plural colophons)
- In manuscripts (typically before the invention of printing), the note, usually at the end, left by the scribe who copied it, giving information on his exemplar, where and when the copy was made, and sometimes, his own name.
- An inscription found at the end of, or interspersed with the contents of, Chinese paintings or scrolls, usually left by later literati, appreciators, or collectors.
- A printer's or publisher's identifying inscription or logo appearing at the front or end of a book, or the same appearing on the spine or dust jacket.
- A page on a website identifying the details of its creation, such as the author's name and the technologies used.
- A finishing stroke or crowning touch.
- He comes to the creation of man, and makes him the Colophon, or conclusion of all things else.1635, John Swan, Speculum Mundi, page 427
Proper noun capitalized: Colophon
Colophon
- A historical city in Ancient Greece.
colophon meaning in Tamil and Kannada
colophon in Tamil
- நூல் வெளியீட்டாளர் குறிப்பு
colophon in Kannada
- ಹೊರಪಡಿಕೆ
Forms of colophon
| plural | colophons |
|---|
Origin of colophon
Borrowed from Late Latin colophōn, from Ancient Greek κολοφών (kolophṓn, “peak or finishing touch”).
From Ancient Greek Κολοφών (Kolophṓn).
Words formed from colophon
Questions about colophon
- What does colophon mean?
- Colophon means in manuscripts (typically before the invention of printing), the note, usually at the end, left by the scribe who copied it, giving information on his exemplar, where and when the copy was made, and sometimes, his own name.
- What is colophon in Tamil?
- Colophon in Tamil is நூல் வெளியீட்டாளர் குறிப்பு. See Colophon meaning in Tamil.
- What part of speech is colophon?
- Colophon can be a noun or a proper noun.
- How do you pronounce colophon?
- Colophon is pronounced /ˈkɒləfən/ (UK).
- What is the plural of colophon?
- The plural of colophon is colophons.
Words near colophon in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: colophon (page history and authors); Colophon (page history and authors); colophon (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); colophon (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-colophon.wav, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-colophon.wav.
Cite this entry: “colophon.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/colophon. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.