serif

noun ser·if \ˈser-əf\

: one of the short lines near the top and bottom of the long parts of some printed letters

Full Definition of SERIF

: any of the short lines stemming from and at an angle to the upper and lower ends of the strokes of a letter

— ser·ifed or ser·iffed \-əft\ adjective

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probably from Dutch schreef stroke, line, from Middle Dutch, from schriven to write, from Latin scribere — more at scribe

First Known Use: 1841

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