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

• 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

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

From New York Times • May 3, 2020

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

From The New Yorker • Jun. 13, 2018

In 2004, we caught a group of beetle experts with 232 colophon beetles.

From National Geographic • Nov. 11, 2015

I washed them down with a bottle of Leninade, a Soviet-themed red lemonade served in a bottle with a hammer-and-sickle colophon.

From Slate • Aug. 18, 2014

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 "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline