sign
a token or indication; a piece of evidence: The smoke curling from the chimney was a sign that someone was in the cabin.
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.
a conventional or arbitrary mark, figure, or symbol used as an abbreviation for the word or words it represents.
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.
a notice, bearing a name, direction, warning, or advertisement, that is displayed or posted for public view: a traffic sign;a store sign.
a trace; vestige: There wasn't a sign of them.
an arbitrary or conventional symbol used in musical notation to indicate tonality, tempo, etc.
Medicine/Medical. the objective indications of a disease.
any meaningful gestural unit belonging to a sign language.
an omen; portent: The general unrest was a sign of the approaching revolution.
Usually signs. traces, such as footprints or scat, of a wild animal.
Mathematics.
a plus sign or minus sign used as a symbol for indicating addition or subtraction.
a plus sign or minus sign used as a symbol for indicating the positive or negative value of a quantity, as an integer.
a symbol, as or !, used to indicate a radical or factorial operation.
to affix a signature to: to sign a letter.
to write as a signature: to sign one's name.
to engage by written agreement: to sign a new player.
to mark with a sign, especially the sign of the cross.
to communicate by means of a sign; signal: He signed his wish to leave.
to convey (a message) in a sign language.
Obsolete. to direct or appoint by a sign.
to write one's signature, as a token of agreement, obligation, receipt, etc.: to sign for a package.
to make a sign or signal: He signed to her to go away.
to employ a sign language for communication.
to obligate oneself by signature: He signed with another team for the next season.
sign away / over to assign or dispose of by affixing one's signature to a document: She signed over her fortune to the church.
sign in, to record or authorize one's arrival (or departure) by signing a register.: Also sign out.
sign off,
to withdraw, as from some responsibility or connection.
to cease radio or television broadcasting, especially at the end of the day.
Informal. to become silent: He had exhausted conversation topics and signed off.
to indicate one's approval explicitly if not formally: The president is expected to sign off on the new agreement.
sign on,
to employ; hire.
to bind oneself to work, as by signing a contract: He signed on as a pitcher with a major-league team.
to start radio or television broadcasting, especially at the beginning of the day.
Computers. log1 (def. 18a).
sign up, to enlist, as in an organization or group; to register or subscribe: to sign up for the navy;to sign up for class.
Origin of sign
1synonym study For sign
Other words for sign
Other words from sign
- sign·less, adjective
- sign·like, adjective
- post·sign, verb (used with object)
- un·signed, adjective
Words that may be confused with sign
- sign , sing
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for sign
/ (saɪn) /
something that indicates or acts as a token of a fact, condition, etc, that is not immediately or outwardly observable
an action or gesture intended to convey information, a command, etc
a board, placard, etc, displayed in public and inscribed with words or designs intended to inform, warn, etc
(as modifier): a sign painter
an arbitrary or conventional mark or device that stands for a word, phrase, etc
maths logic
any symbol indicating an operation: a plus sign; an implication sign
the positivity or negativity of a number, quantity, or expression: subtraction from zero changes the sign of an expression
an indication or vestige: the house showed no signs of being occupied
a portentous or significant event
an indication, such as a scent or spoor, of the presence of an animal
med any objective evidence of the presence of a disease or disorder: Compare symptom (def. 1)
astrology Compare sign of the zodiac
to write (one's name) as a signature to (a document, etc) in attestation, confirmation, ratification, etc
(intr often foll by to) to make a sign; signal
to engage or be engaged by written agreement, as a player for a team, etc
(tr) to outline in gestures a sign over, esp the sign of the cross
(tr) to indicate by or as if by a sign; betoken
(intr) to use sign language
Origin of sign
1Derived forms of sign
- signable, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for sign
[ sīn ]
A body manifestation, usually detected on physical examination or through laboratory tests or xrays, that indicates the presence of abnormality or disease. Compare symptom.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with sign
In addition to the idioms beginning with sign
- sign in
- sign off
- sign on
- sign one's own death warrant
- sign on the dotted line
- sign out
- sign over
- sign up
, see
- high sign
- show signs of
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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