English → Latin
“signet” in Latin
fōrmaform; figure, shape, appearance; fine form; beauty; outline, plan, designdactyliothēcaA casket used to keep rings in
The English word signet itself goes back to Latin signum.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
signet
A seal, annulus, quo signatorio utimur (Valerius Max., 8, 14, 4, or commonly, from the context, annulus only. This was also called by the Romans symbolum, from the Greek σύμβολον; Vid: Plin., 33, 1, 4, § 10, inasmuch as it answered to a ticket to be admitted in certain assemblies): forma, qua signatoria utimur (a seal used instead of signing one’s name; after Valerius Max., 8, 14, 4). A counterfeited Vid: signum adulterinum: a collection of signets, dactyliotheca (δακτυλιοθήκη, Plin., 37, 1, 5).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for signet?
- The usual Latin words for “signet” are fōrma, dactyliothēca. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.