autograph
pronunciation
How to pronounce autograph in British English:
UK [ˈɔːtəɡrɑːf]
How to pronounce autograph in American English:
US [ˈɔːtəɡræf]
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- Noun:
- something written by one's own hand
- a person's own signature
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- Verb:
- mark with one's signature
Word Origin
- autograph
- autograph: [17] Greek auto- was a prefixal use of the adjective autós, meaning ‘same, self’. Many of the commonest auto- words in English, including autograph itself and also autocrat [19], automatic [18] (a derivative of automaton [17], which was formed from a hypothetical base *men- ‘think’ related to mental and mind), autonomy [17], and autopsy [17] (originally meaning ‘eye-witness’, and derived from Greek optós ‘seen’, source of English optic), are original Greek formations.But the 19th and particularly the 20th century have seen a mass of new coinages, notably in scientific and technical terminology, including such familiar words as autism, autobiography, autoerotic, autofocus, autogiro, autoimmune, automotive, autosuggestion, and of course automobile (originally a French formation of the 1870s). Automobile has itself, of course, given rise to a completely new use for the auto- prefix, with the general connotation of ‘motorized transport’, as in autobus, autocar, autocycle, and the German autobahn.
- autograph (n.)
- "a person's signature," 1791, from Latin autographum, from Greek autographon, neuter of autographos "written with one's own hand," from autos- "self" (see auto-) + graphein "to write" (originally "to scratch;" see -graphy). Used earlier (1640s) to mean "author's own manuscript."
- autograph (v.)
- "to sign one's name," 1837, from autograph (n.). Related: Autographed; autographing. Earlier "to write with one's own hand" (1818).
Example
- 1. Let 's ask for her autograph during the intermission .
- 2. Last spring , I spent a few hours looking at the autograph manuscript of " dorian gray , " at the morgan library .
- 3. He received two standing ovations and requests for his autograph .
- 4. Many of the letters contain requests-for an autograph , for a dust jacket , for an explanation , for a photograph .
- 5. His fame brought him even greater happiness in october of 2006 when he met his future wife at a walmart autograph signing .