signal

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

English

Alternative forms

• signall

Etymology

From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle; noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum; verb use from 1805, as a shortened from signalize (1650s).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĭgʹnəl, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪɡnəl/
• Rhymes: -ɪɡnəl
• Hyphenation: sig‧nal

Noun

signal (plural signals)

1. A sequence of states representing an encoded message in a communication channel.
2. Any variation of a quantity or change in an entity over time that conveys information upon detection.
3. A sign made to give notice of some occurrence, command, or danger, or to indicate the start of a concerted action.
4. An on-off light, semaphore, or other device used to give an indication to another person.
5. (of a radio, TV, telephone, internet, etc.) An electromagnetic action, normally a voltage that is a function of time, that conveys the information of the radio or TV program or of communication with another party.

6. An action, change or process done to convey information and thus reduce uncertainty.
7. A token; an indication; a foreshadowing; a sign.
8. Useful information, as opposed to noise.
9. (computing, Unix) A simple interprocess communication used to notify a process or thread of an occurrence.
10. (biochemistry) A signalling interaction between cells

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “useful information”): noise

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• tocsin

Verb

signal (third-person singular simple present signals, present participle (UK) signalling or (US) signaling, simple past and past participle (UK) signalled or (US) signaled)

1. (ambitransitive) To indicate; to convey or communicate by a signal.
2. (transitive) To communicate with (a person or system) by a signal.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

signal (not comparable)

1. Standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement.

   a signal exploit; a signal success; a signal act of benevolence

Synonyms

• eminent, noteworthy, significant; see also Thesaurus:important or Thesaurus:notable

Related terms

• signature (adjective)

Anagrams

• Saling, algins, aligns, lasing, liangs, lingas

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian сигнал (signal).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: sig‧nal

Noun

signal

1. signal

Declension

References

• “signal”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

Danish

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /siˈnæˀl/

Noun

signal n (singular definite signalet, plural indefinite signaler)

1. a signal

Declension

References

• “signal” in Den Danske Ordbog

French

Etymology

Re-latinization of Old French segnal, from Medieval Latin signale, from Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si.ɲal/

Noun

signal m (plural signaux)

1. signal

Derived terms

• écrevisse signal

Related terms

• signe

Descendants

• Dutch: signaal, signael (obsolete)
  • → Indonesian: sinyal
• → Turkish: sinyal

Further reading

• “signal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• lignas

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale.

Noun

signal n (definite singular signalet, indefinite plural signal or signaler, definite plural signala or signalene)

1. a signal

Derived terms

References

• “signal” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale.

Noun

signal n (definite singular signalet, indefinite plural signal, definite plural signala)

1. a signal

Derived terms

References

• “signal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French signal.

Noun

signal n (plural signale)

1. signal

Declension

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From German Signal, from Medieval Latin signale, from Latin signum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sǐɡnaːl/
• Hyphenation: sig‧nal

Noun

sìgnāl m (Cyrillic spelling сѝгна̄л)

1. signal

Declension

References

• “signal”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Swedish

Etymology

Derived from Latin signālis, from signum.

Pronunciation

Noun

signal c

1. a signal

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• signal in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker
• signal in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

Anagrams

• inslag, ligans, singla, slinga

Vilamovian

Etymology

From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle, noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum.

Pronunciation

Noun

signal n (plural signale)

1. signal

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English signal.

Noun

signal m (plural signalau or signals, not mutable)

1. signal

   Synonym: arwyddiad

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “signal”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies