ob-signo — Lewis & Short
ob-signo, āvi, ātum, 1,
I v. a., to seal, seal up a will, a letter, etc. (class.).
I Lit.
A In gen.:
cedo tu ceram ac linum actutum: age obliga, obsigna cito,Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 96:
cellas,id. Cas. 2, 1, 1:
lagenas,Q. Cic. Fam. 16, 26:
epistulam,Cic. Att. 8, 6, 1; id. Pis. 28, 71.—Esp.: tabulas, testamenta, to sign and seal, as a witness:
istam ipsam quaestionem, dicite, quis obsignavit?Cic. Clu. 66, 185:
tabellas ejus rei condicionisque,id. Quint. 21, 67:
testamentum signis adulterinis,id. Clu. 14, 41:
obsignavit anulo,Vulg. Dan. 6, 17.—Prov.: agere cum aliquo tabellis obsignatis, to deal with one with sealed writings, i. e. in the strictest form, Cic. Tusc. 5, 11, 33 (cf.:
tamquam ex syngraphā agere cum populo,id. Mur. 17, 35): tabulas obsignare velle, would seal up the documents, i. e. would have no discussion, id. Pis. 28, 69.—
B In partic.
1 To seal up the papers and effects of an accused person, Cic. Verr. 1, 19, 50.—Hence,
2 To seal an accusation against one: qui contra Scaurum patrem suum obsignaverat, Cic. Scaur. Fragm. ap. Ascon.—
3 To pledge or mortgage under one's hand and seal:
tria agri jugera ad aerarium obsignaverat,Val. Max. 4, 4, 7.—
4 To close under seal, make fast:
inane obsignari nihil solere,Cic. Div. 2, 70, 145; cf. the context.—
II Trop., to stamp, impress:
formam verbi,Lucr. 4, 567:
aliquid obsignatum habere,to impress on the mind, id. 2, 581.