signet

S1I1G2N1E1T1
Australia, Canada, UK, US/ˈsɪɡ.nɪt/

noun

An object (especially a ring) formerly used to impress a picture into the sealing wax of a document as a proof of its origin.

OriginOld French signet ← Latin signum →
Less commonScrabble 7
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Meanings

nounsignet (plural signets)

plural signets

  1. historicalAn object (especially a ring) formerly used to impress a picture into the sealing wax of a document as a proof of its origin.

    I had my fathers Signet in my Purse, / Which was the Modell of that Danish Seale:

    c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]
    1 more example

    To carry pure death in an earring, a casket, A signet, a fan-mount, a filigree basket!

    1844, Robert Browning, The Laboratory

Origin

  1. Latinsignum“sign”
  2. Old Frenchsignet“small seal”
  3. Englishsignet

From Old French signet (“small seal”), from Medieval Latin signētum, diminutive of Latin signum (“sign”).

More words from Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek σφραγίς
  • σφραγίς (sphragís)object used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Bulgarian личен печат
  • личен печат (ličen pečat)object used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Catalan segell
  • segellobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Esperanto sigelringo
  • sigelringoobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Finnish sinettisormus, sinettileimasin
  • sinettisormusobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
  • sinettileimasinobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
  • sinettiobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
German Signet
  • Signetobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Polish sygnet
  • sygnetobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Portuguese sinete
  • sineteobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Russian печа́тка
  • печа́тка (pečátka)object used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Spanish sello
  • selloobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Swedish sigill
  • sigillobject used to impress a picture into sealing wax
Ukrainian печа́тка
  • печа́тка (pečátka)object used to impress a picture into sealing wax

Rhymes & wordplay

Sounds the same

cygnet

Anagrams

ingeststinge
Cite this entry
APA

signet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/signet

MLA

“signet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/signet. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “signet,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/signet.

Source: signet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.