sign
/saɪn/ noun, verb
Forms signs signing signed signest signedst signeth
- noun (countable, uncountable) A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen. “Their angry expressions were a clear sign they didn't want to talk.”
- noun An omen. “"It's a sign of the end of the world," the doom prophet said.”
- noun (medicine) A property of the body that indicates a disease and, unlike a symptom, can be detected objectively by someone other than the patient. “Signs of disease are objective, whereas symptoms are subjective.”
- noun A mark or another symbol used to represent something. “The sharp sign indicates that the pitch of the note is raised a half step.”
- noun (Canada, US, Australia, uncountable) Physical evidence left by an animal. “The hunters found deer sign at the end of the trail.”
- noun A clearly visible object, generally flat, bearing a short message in words or pictures. “The sign in the window advertised a room for rent.”
- noun A wonder; miracle; prodigy.
- noun (astrology) An astrological sign. “Your sign is Taurus? That's no surprise.”
- verb (transitive, now rare) To seal (a document etc.) with an identifying seal or symbol. “The Queen signed her letter with the regal signet.”
- verb (transitive) To mark, to put or leave a mark on.
- verb (transitive) To validate or ratify (a document) by writing one's signature on it.
- verb (transitive) More generally, to write one's signature on (something) as a means of identification etc. “I forgot to sign that letter to my aunt.”
- verb (transitive or reflexive) To write (one's name) as a signature. “Just sign your name at the bottom there.”
- verb (intransitive) To write one's signature. “Please sign on the dotted line.”
- verb (intransitive) To finalise a contractual agreement to work for a given sports team, record label etc.
- verb (transitive) To engage (a sports player, musician etc.) in a contract.
Synonyms
indication evidence mark marking signal symbol token signaling signboard sign of the zodiac star sign mansion house planetary house polarity augury foretoken preindication subscribe ratify contract sign on sign up signalize signalise bless gestural signed sign-language
Etymology
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 and signal. Partially displaced native token.
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun That by which anything is made known or represented; that which furnishes evidence; a mark; a token; an indication; a proof.
- noun The twelfth part of the ecliptic or zodiac.
- verb To represent by a sign; to make known in a typical or emblematic manner, in distinction from speech; to signify.
- verb To make a sign upon; to mark with a sign.
Etymology [F. signe, L. signum; cf. AS. segen, segn, a sign, standard, banner, also fr. L. signum. Cf. Ensign, Resign, Seal a stamp, Signal, Signet.]
Etymology [OE. seinen to bless, originally, to make the sign of the cross over; in this sense fr. ASS. segnian (from segn, n.), or OF. seignier, F. signer, to mark, to sign (in sense 3), fr. L. signare to mark, set a mark upon, from signum. See Sign, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “sign”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details