sign

English Online Dictionary. What means sign‎? What does sign mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: sīn, IPA^(key): /saɪn/
• Homophones: sine, syne
• Rhymes: -aɪn

Etymology 1

From Middle English signe, sygne, syng, seine, sine, syne, from Old English seġn (“sign; mark; token”) and Old French signe, seing (“sign; mark; signature”); both from Latin signum (“a mark; sign; token”); root uncertain. Doublet of signum. Partially displaced native token.

Noun

sign (countable and uncountable, plural signs)

1. (countable, uncountable) A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.

   Synonyms: indication, evidence

   1. An omen.

   2. (medicine) A property of the body that indicates a disease and, unlike a symptom, can be detected objectively by someone other than the patient.

2. A mark or another symbol used to represent something.

   Synonyms: mark, marking, signal, symbol
3. (Canada, US, Australia, uncountable) Physical evidence left by an animal.
4. A clearly visible object, generally flat, bearing a short message in words or pictures.
5. A wonder; miracle; prodigy.
6. (astrology) An astrological sign.

7. (mathematics) Positive or negative polarity, as denoted by the + or - sign.

8. A specific gesture or motion used to communicate by those with speaking or hearing difficulties; now specifically, a linguistic unit in sign language equivalent to word in spoken languages.
9. (uncountable) Sign language in general.

10. A semantic unit, something that conveys meaning or information (e.g. a word of written language); (linguistics, semiotics) a unit consisting of a signifier and a signified concept. (See sign (semiotics).)
11. A military emblem carried on a banner or standard.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English signen, seinen, seinien, partly from Old English seġnian (“to mark; sign”) and partly from Anglo-Norman seigner, seiner et al., Old French signer et al., and their source Latin signāre (“to mark, seal, indicate, signify”); all from Latin signum (“a mark, sign”); see Etymology 1, above. Compare sain.

Verb

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

1. To make a mark
   1. (transitive, now rare) To seal (a document etc.) with an identifying seal or symbol. [from 13th c.]

   2. (transitive) To mark, to put or leave a mark on. [from 14th c.]
   3. (transitive) To validate or ratify (a document) by writing one's signature on it. [from 15th c.]
   4. (transitive) More generally, to write one's signature on (something) as a means of identification etc. [from 15th c.]

   5. (transitive or reflexive) To write (one's name) as a signature. [from 16th c.]

   6. (intransitive) To write one's signature. [from 17th c.]

   7. (intransitive) To finalise a contractual agreement to work for a given sports team, record label etc. [from 19th c.]
      • 2011, The Guardian, (headline), 18 Oct 2011:

        Agents say Wales back Gavin Henson has signed for Cardiff Blues.

   8. (transitive) To engage (a sports player, musician etc.) in a contract. [from 19th c.]

      It was a great month. I managed to sign three major players.

2. To make the sign of the cross
   1. (transitive) To bless (someone or something) with the sign of the cross; to mark with the sign of the cross. [from 14th c.]
   2. (reflexive) To cross oneself. [from 15th c.]
3. To indicate
   1. (intransitive) To communicate using a gesture or signal. [from 16th c.]
   2. (transitive) To communicate or make known (a meaning, intention, etc.) by a sign.
   3. (transitive) To communicate using gestures to (someone). [from 16th c.]

   5. (intransitive) To use sign language. [from 19th c.]
   6. (transitive) To furnish (a road etc.) with signs. [from 20th c.]
4. To determine the sign of
   1. (transitive) To calculate or derive whether a quantity has a positive or negative sign.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

• Scottish Gaelic: soidhn

Translations

Further reading

• “sign”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “sign”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• IGNs, Ings, NGIs, Sing, Sing., gins, ings, nigs, sing, sing., snig