[Deriv. obscure. A writer in N. & Q., 8 May ’69 suggests Du. and Flem. schreef line, stroke (schreve ‘linea; norma, et terminus’ Kilian), which fairly suits sense and form; but historical evidence is wanting, and the quasi-French form of sans-ceriph is not accounted for.]
One of the fine lines of a letter, esp. the fine ‘hair-line’ at the top or bottom of capitals, as of I; hence sans-ceriph a name for the block type that has no hair-lines, as in 𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖲.
1830. in Figgins, Spec. Printing Types, Sans-cerif.
1833. in Blake & Stephenson, Printing Types, Nonpareil sans-surryphs.
1841. Savage, Dict. Printing, 163.
1876. Phonetic Jrnl., 20 Sept., 454/1. The capital 𝖢 in sans-ceriph type is too much like 𝖦.
