colophon

¹

[ kol-uh-fon, -fuhn ]

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.

Colophon

²

[ kol-uh-fon ]

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.

colophon

/ -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

Other Words From

• colo·phonic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of colophon¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of colophon¹

C17: via Late Latin, from Greek kolophōn a finishing stroke

Example Sentences

The differences between the editions, which begin with the colophon, include extended or altered scenes and three distinct endings.

From New York Times

“Marriage Vacation” was published earlier this month, by Simon & Schuster—though Millennial’s colophon appears on the spine, too.

From The New Yorker

The creation date in the quest’s colophon said it had been launched several years after Halliday’s death, which meant it couldn’t have any relation to the contest.

From Literature

Any student of colophons — or of those pull-down menus listing digital typefaces — will recognize the name Bodoni, the 18th-century printer and immensely influential type designer.

From Washington Post

Avon, one of the most resolutely down-market of the major paperback imprints, used an image of Shakespeare’s head as a colophon.

From The New Yorker