sign
Americannoun
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an indication or piece of evidence.
The smoke curling from the chimney was a sign that someone was in the cabin.
- Synonyms:
- signal, suggestion, hint, trace
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any object, action, event, pattern, etc., that is taken as conveying a meaning.
I took her silence and fidgeting as a sign of disagreement.
Rising sales of disaster survival kits are a sign of the times.
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a conventional or arbitrary mark, figure, or symbol used as an abbreviation for the word or words it represents.
The dollar sign ($) can be found on your keyboard above the numeral 4.
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a motion or gesture used to express or convey an idea, command, decision, etc..
Her nod was a sign that it was time to leave.
- Synonyms:
- signal
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a notice, bearing a name, direction, warning, or advertisement, that is displayed or posted for public view.
a traffic sign;
a store sign.
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a trace; vestige.
I looked in my car for your glasses, but there was no sign of them.
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an arbitrary or conventional symbol used in musical notation to indicate tonality, tempo, etc..
Notice the repeat sign at the end of that bar.
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Medicine/Medical. the objective indications of a disease.
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any meaningful gestural unit belonging to a sign language.
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an omen; portent.
The general unrest was a sign of the approaching revolution.
- Synonyms:
- augury, hint, indication
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Usually signs. traces, such as footprints or scat, of a wild animal.
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Mathematics.
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a plus sign or minus sign used as a symbol for indicating addition or subtraction.
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a plus sign or minus sign used as a symbol for indicating the positive or negative value of a quantity, as an integer.
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a symbol, such as or !, used to indicate a radical or factorial operation.
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Semiotics. a symbol, object, or action together with the meaning given to it.
verb (used with object)
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to affix a signature to.
to sign a letter.
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to write as a signature.
to sign one's name.
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to engage or hire by a written agreement.
to sign a new player.
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to mark with a sign, especially the sign of the cross.
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to communicate by means of a sign; signal.
He signed his wish to leave by an impatient wave of his hand.
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to convey (a message) in a sign language.
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Obsolete. to direct or appoint by a sign.
verb (used without object)
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to write one's signature as an expression of agreement, obligation, receipt, etc..
Someone will have to be here to sign for the package.
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to communicate by a gesture or signal.
He signed to her to go away.
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to employ a sign language for communication.
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to indicate one’s acceptance of a contract by a signature.
He signed with another team for the next season.
verb phrase
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sign off
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to indicate one's approval.
The president is expected to sign off on the new agreement.
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to cease radio or television broadcasting, especially at the end of the day.
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to withdraw from a responsibility or connection.
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Informal. to end a conversation, especially on the phone or online.
It's been good talking to you—I'm going to sign off and get back to work.
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sign in
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to record or authorize one's arrival by providing one's name and other requested information on a register, website, or digital device.
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Digital Technology. to log in to an account on a device or website by entering one’s identifying information.
Go to the Members page and sign in with your username and password.
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sign on
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to engage (a worker, client, etc.) by a contract.
We’ve signed on three new retailers to distribute the product.
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to commit oneself to a job or other activity by signing a contract.
He signed on as a pitcher with a major-league team.
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to start radio or television broadcasting, especially at the beginning of the day.
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Digital Technology. to log in to an account on a device or website by entering one’s identifying information.
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to express agreement or cooperation.
It looks like both party leaders have signed on to the interest group's agenda.
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sign away / over to assign or dispose of by affixing one's signature to a document.
She signed over her fortune to the church.
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sign up to enlist, as in an organization or group; to register or subscribe.
to sign up for the navy;
to sign up for a class.
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sign out
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to record or authorize one’s departure by providing one's name and other requested information on a register, website, or digital device.
Residents of the halfway house must sign out at the office when leaving.
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to record that one is borrowing (a tool, file, book, etc.) by providing one's name and other requested information on a register, website, or digital device.
We can sign out one of the canoes for a few hours and go exploring.
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Digital Technology. to log out of an account on a device or website.
If using a library computer, be sure to sign out at the end of your session.
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noun
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something that indicates or acts as a token of a fact, condition, etc, that is not immediately or outwardly observable
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an action or gesture intended to convey information, a command, etc
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a board, placard, etc, displayed in public and inscribed with words or designs intended to inform, warn, etc
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( as modifier )
a sign painter
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an arbitrary or conventional mark or device that stands for a word, phrase, etc
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maths logic
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any symbol indicating an operation
a plus sign
an implication sign
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the positivity or negativity of a number, quantity, or expression
subtraction from zero changes the sign of an expression
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an indication or vestige
the house showed no signs of being occupied
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a portentous or significant event
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an indication, such as a scent or spoor, of the presence of an animal
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med any objective evidence of the presence of a disease or disorder Compare symptom
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astrology Compare sign of the zodiac
verb
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to write (one's name) as a signature to (a document, etc) in attestation, confirmation, ratification, etc
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to make a sign; signal
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to engage or be engaged by written agreement, as a player for a team, etc
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(tr) to outline in gestures a sign over, esp the sign of the cross
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(tr) to indicate by or as if by a sign; betoken
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(intr) to use sign language
Related Words
Sign, omen, portent name that which gives evidence of a future event. Sign is a general word for whatever gives evidence of an event—past, present, or future: Dark clouds are a sign of rain or snow. An omen is an augury or warning of things to come; it is used only of the future, in general, as good or bad: birds of evil omen. Portent, limited, like omen, to prophecy of the future, may be used of a specific event, usually a misfortune: portents of war.
Other Word Forms
- postsign verb (used with object)
- signable adjective
- signless adjective
- signlike adjective
- unsigned adjective
Etymology
Origin of sign
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun signe, sign, from Old French and Latin signum “mark, sign, ensign, signal, image”; verb ultimately from the noun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet new orders, a sign of future sales, slowed for the third month in a row.
From MarketWatch
In 2021 the Chicago Bears signed a purchase agreement for land at a former racetrack in nearby Arlington Heights, with the intention of razing the existing facility and building a new stadium.
You don’t have to agree with every sign or slogan.
At Tyumen University in Siberia, some 2,000 students signed a petition against a move to make the school’s Wi-Fi accessible only through Max.
Mills's last Radio 2 breakfast show appearance was on Tuesday 24 March, when he signed off by saying: "Back tomorrow."
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
