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Sign Definition

sign

Contents

English

Wikipedia has an article on: Sign

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Old French signe, from Latin signum (“a mark, sign, token”); root uncertain.

Noun

sign (plural signs)

  1. (sometimes also used uncountably) A visible indication.
    Their angry expressions were a clear sign they didn't want to talk.
    Those clouds show signs of raining soon.
    Those clouds show little sign of raining soon.
    Signs of disease are objective, whereas symptoms are subjective.
  2. A clearly visible object, generally flat, bearing a short message in words or pictures.
    The sign in the window said "for rent".
  3. A traffic sign.
    I missed the sign at the corner so I took the wrong turn.
  4. A meaningful gesture.
    I gave them a thumbs-up sign.
  5. Any of several specialized non-alphabetic symbols.
    The sharp sign indicates that the pitch of the note is raised a half step.
  6. (astrology) An astrological sign.
    Your sign is Taurus? That's no surprise.
  7. (mathematics) Positive or negative polarity.
    I got the magnitude right, but the sign was wrong.
  8. A linguistic unit in sign language equivalent to word in spoken languages.
    What's the sign for "computer"?
  9. (uncountable) sign language in general
    Sorry, I don't know sign very well.
  10. An omen.
    "It's a sign of the end of the world," the doom prophet said.
  11. (medicine) A property of the body that indicates a disease and, unlike a symptom, is unlikely to be noticed by the patient.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
visible indication
  • Italian: segno (it) m., indicazione (it) f., insegna (it) f.
  • Japanese: 印 (shirushi)
  • Korean: 신호 (sinho)
  • Kurdish: نیشانه‌
  • Latin: signum (la) n.
  • Macedonian: знак (mk) (znak) m.
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: tegn (nb) n.
    Nynorsk: teikn (nn) n.
  • Old English: mǣl (ang)
  • Portuguese: sinal (pt) m.
  • Romanian: semn (ro)
  • Russian: знак (ru) (znak) m.
  • Spanish: signo (es) m., muestra (es) f.
  • Swedish: tecken (sv)
  • Telugu: సూచన (soocana)
  • Turkish: işaret (tr)
  • Welsh: arwydd (cy) m.
clearly visible object
  • Italian: segno (it) m.
  • Macedonian: знак (mk) (znak) m.
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: skilt (nb) n.
    Nynorsk: skilt (nn) n.
  • Portuguese: placa (pt)
  • Russian: вывеска (ru) (výveska) f., знак (ru) (znak) m.
  • Spanish: aviso (es) m., señal (es) f.
  • Swedish: skylt (sv) c.
traffic sign
  • Armenian: նշան (nëšan)
  • Bulgarian: знак (bg) (znak) m.
  • Czech: značka (cs) f.
  • Dutch: verkeersbord (nl)
  • Esperanto: trafiksigno
  • Finnish: liikennemerkki (fi)
  • French: panneau de signalisation (fr) m.
  • Galician: sinal (gl) m.
  • Greek: σήμα (el) (síma) n.
  • Hebrew: שלט תנועה
  • Italian: cartello stradale (it) m.
  • Macedonian: знак (mk) (znak) m.
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: skilt (nb)
    Nynorsk: skilt (nn) n.
  • Russian: знак (ru) (znak) m.
  • Spanish: señal (es) f.
  • Swedish: trafikskylt (sv) c., skylt (sv) c.
  • Telugu: గుర్తు (gurtu)
meaningful gesture
  • Macedonian: знак (mk) (znak) m., ишарет (mk) (íšaret) m.
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: tegn (nb)
    Nynorsk: teikn (nn) n.
  • Romanian: semn (ro)
  • Russian: знак (ru) (znak) m.
  • Swedish: tecken (sv) n.
any of several specialized non-alphabetic symbols
  • Italian: simbolo (it) m.
  • Macedonian: знак (mk) (znak) m.
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: tegn (nb) n.
    Nynorsk: teikn (nn) n.
  • Russian: знак (ru) (znak) m.
  • Swedish: tecken (sv) n.
astrological sign
  • Macedonian: знак (mk) (znak) m.
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: tegn (nb) n., stjernetegn (nb) n.
    Nynorsk: teikn (nn) n., stjerneteikn (nn) n.
  • Portuguese: signo (pt) m.
  • Russian: знак (ru) (znak) m.
  • Swedish: tecken (sv) n., stjärntecken (sv) n.
  • Telugu: రాశి (raaSi)
positive or negative polarity
  • Italian: segno (it) m.
  • Macedonian: знак (mk) (znak) m.
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: tegn (nb) n.
    Nynorsk: teikn (nn) n.
  • Russian: знак (ru) (znak) m.
  • Spanish: signo (es) m.
  • Swedish: tecken (sv) n.
  • Telugu: గుర్తు (gurtu)
linguistic unit in sign language
sign language in general
  • French: langue des signes (fr) f.
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: tegnspråk (nb) n.
    Nynorsk: teiknspråk (nn) n.
omen
  • Macedonian: предзнак (mk) (prédznak) m.
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: tegn (nb) n.
    Nynorsk: teikn (nn) n.
  • Romanian: semn (ro)
  • Russian: знак (ru) (znak) m.
  • Spanish: presagio (es) m.
  • Swedish: tecken (sv) n., järtecken (sv) n., omen (sv) n.
  • Telugu: శకునం (SakunaM)

Etymology 2

From Old French signer, from Latin signare (“to mark, seal, indicate, signify”), from signum (“a mark, sign”); see sign as a noun.

Verb

sign (third-person singular simple present signs, present participle signing, simple past and past participle signed)

  1. (transitive) To write one's signature on (a document), thus showing authorship.
    I forgot to sign that letter to my aunt.
  2. (transitive) To give legal consent by writing one's signature.
    I'm not signing anything without my lawyer present.
  3. (transitive) To persuade to sign a contract.
    It was a great month. I managed to sign three major players.
  4. (intransitive) To write one's signature somewhere.
    Please sign on the dotted line.
  5. (intransitive) (colloquial) To give autographs.
    I'm sorry, I don't sign.
  6. (intransitive) To communicate using sign language.
    I'm learning to sign so I can talk to my new neighbor.
  7. (transitive) To communicate using (sign langauge).
    The chimp was taught to sign ASL.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
to write one's signature on a document
to give legal consent by writing one's signature
  • Macedonian: потпишува (mk) (potpíšuva)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: skrive under (nb)
    Nynorsk: skrive under (nn)
  • Portuguese: assinar (pt)
  • Swedish: skriva på (sv)
to persuade to sign a contract.
  • French: faire signer (fr)
to write one's signature somewhere
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: signere (nb)
    Nynorsk: signere (nn)
  • Portuguese: assinar (pt)
to give autographs
  • Macedonian: потпишува (mk) (potpíšuva)
  • Portuguese: autografar (pt)
intransitive: to communicate using sign language
transitive: to communicate using sign langauge

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Anagrams

 

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