What is "colophon"

Colophon \Col"o*phon\ (k[o^]l"[-o]*f[o^]n), n. [L. colophon finishing stroke, Gr. kolofw`n; cf. L. culmen top, collis hill. Cf. Holm.] An inscription, monogram, or cipher, containing the place and date of publication, printer's name, etc., formerly placed on the last page of a book.

The colophon, or final description, fell into disuse, and . . . the title page had become the principal direct means of identifying the book.
--De Morgan.

The book was uninjured from title page to colophon.
--Sir W. Scott.

1774, "publisher's inscription at the end of a book," from Latin colophon, from Greek kolophon "summit, final touch" (see hill).

n. 1 In manuscripts (typically before the invention of printing), the note, usually at the end, left by the scribe who copied it, giving information on his exemplar, where and when the copy was made, and sometimes, his own name. 2 A printer's or publisher's identifying inscription or logo appearing at the end of a book, or the same appearing on the spine or dust-jacket. It generally contains factual information about the book, especially about its production, and includes details about typographic style, the fonts used, the paper used, and perhaps the binding method of the book. 3 (context Internet English) A page on a website identifying the details of its creation, such as the author's name and the technology used. 4 (context obsolete English) A finishing stroke or crowning touch.(R:OED Online title=colophon code=36552 part of speech=n date=September 2011)

n. a publisher's emblem printed in a book (usually on the title page)

Colophon (; ) was an ancient city in Ionia. Founded around the turn of the first millennium BC, it was likely one of the oldest of the twelve cities of the Ionian League. In ancient times it was located between Lebedos (120 stadia to the west) and Ephesus (70 stadia to its south). Today the ruins of the city can be found south of the town Değirmendere Fev in the Menderes district of Izmir Province, Turkey.

The city's name comes from the word κολοφών, "summit", which is also the origin of the bibliographic term " colophon", in the metaphorical sense of a 'crowning touch', as it was sited along a ridgeline. The term colophony for rosin comes from the term colophonia resina, that is, resin from the pine trees of Colophon, which was highly valued for the strings of musical instruments.

In publishing, a colophon is a brief statement containing information about the publication of a book such as the place of publication, the publisher, and the date of publication. A colophon may also be emblematic or pictorial in nature. Colophons were formerly printed at the ends of books, but in modern works they are usually located at the verso of the title-leaf.

Colophon is a small genus of beetles in the "stag beetle" family Lucanidae.

These 14 species of beetles are flightless, and are endemic to South Africa, each restricted to its own mountain range or peak within a range (mostly between 1000 and 2000 m elevation). Dead specimens are highly prized by beetle collectors.

As a result of commercial pressure, Colophon beetles have been placed on CITES Schedule II. This means that no trade, exchange or sale of Colophon species is allowed.

Limited reference specimens may only be collected for scientific purposes with the appropriate permit issued by the Department of Western Cape Nature Conservation.

All Colophon species are presently listed as Endangered and Colophon primosi as critically endangered (these changes are not reflected in the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which was last updated in 1994).

Colophon may refer to:

• Colophon (publishing), a brief description of the manuscript or book to which it is attached
• The Colophon, A Book Collectors' Quarterly, published 1929–1950
• Colophon (city) in ancient Greece, located in modern Turkey
• Colophon (genus), a genus of stag beetle