ecce signura

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

See it, in proof. Behold the proof. I am eight times thrust through the doublet, four through the hose; my buckler cut through and through; my sword hacked like a handsaw — ecce signum! — 1 Henry IV, ii, 4.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “ecce signura” mean?

See it, in proof. Behold the proof. I am eight times thrust through the doublet, four through the hose; my buckler cut through and through; my sword hacked like a handsaw — ecce signum! — 1 Henry IV, ii, 4.

Is “ecce signura” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.