[ad. F. contresigner (1415 in Hatzfeld), in It. contrasegnare ‘to countermarke’ (Florio): cf. COUNTER- 1.]
1. trans. To sign (a document) opposite to, alongside of, or in addition to, another signature; to add one’s signature to (a document already signed by another) for authentication or confirmation.
[1611. Cotgr. has contresigner to subsigne.]
1696. Phillips, Countersign, to sign a Patent or Order of a Superior, in quality of a Secretary, to render it more Authentic.
a. 1714. in Somers, Tracts, II. 99. He … had a Warrant granted him, and countersigned by the Secretary at War.
1806. Gregory, Dict. Arts & Sc., I. 446. Charters are signed by the king, and countersigned by a secretary of state or lord chancellor.
1882. Pebody, Eng. Journalism, viii. 62. He brought an action against the Secretary of State who had countersigned the warrant for his arrest.
b. fig. To confirm, sanction, ratify.
1840. De Quincey, Style, III. Wks. 1862, X. 232. What he founded upon a review of two nations and two literatures we may now countersign by an experience of eight or nine.
1871. Macduff, Mem. Patmos, xviii. 241. ‘Blessed are the dead!’ How the death-chamber belies the utterance—refuses to countersign the strange benediction!
1873. F. Hall, Mod. Eng., v. 153, note. As to dictionaries, the Dean [Swift] writes of them, as if he supposed their contents were countersigned beyond the stars.
† 2. To mark with a particular sign for authentication, identification or reference. Obs.
1662. Evelyn, Chalcogr., 37. Martine of Antwerp, whose works … were usually countersigned with M.
1665. J. Webb, Stone-Heng (1725), 8. If Mr. Camden hath not countersign’d them, then is his Draught imperfect. Ibid., 16. Two Stones countersigned by me with the Letters I I.
