sign-on

[ sahyn-on, -awn ]

/ ˈsaɪnˌɒn, -ˌɔn /

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noun

Radio and Television. the opening salutation, station identification, etc., at the beginning of the broadcast day.

an act or instance of signing on.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!

Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!

Question 1 of 7

Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?

First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.

First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.

First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of sign-on

First recorded in 1880–85; noun use of verb phrase sign on

Words nearby sign-on

sign manual, sign of aggregation, sign-off, sign of the cross, sign of the zodiac, sign-on, sign one's own death warrant, sign on the dotted line, signor, signora, signore

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for sign-on

Just the hard-on before you shoot unarmed members of the public.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops|Melissa Leon|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They are always suspended over a precipice, dangling by a slender thread that shows every sign of snapping.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Three on-the-record stories from a family: a mother and her daughters who came from Phoenix.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
You just travel light with carry-on luggage, go to cities that you love, and get to hang out with all your friends.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

It was a brick wall that we turned into the on-ramp of a highway.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Its continued presence in pulmonary tuberculosis is, however, a grave prognostic sign, even when the physical signs are slight.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Idly his pen traced upon the paper in front of him a large X, the sign of the unknown quantity.
Uncanny Tales|Various
Here they are seldom abundant, but their constant presence is the most reliable urinary sign of the disease.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Waxy casts are found in most advanced cases of nephritis, where they are an unfavorable sign.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Scouts reported that Porter still occupied his camp, and showed no sign of moving.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn

British Dictionary definitions for sign-on

sign on

verb (adverb)

(tr) to hire or employ

(intr) to commit oneself to a job, activity, etc

(intr) British to register as unemployed with the Department of Social Security

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

Idioms and Phrases with sign-on

sign on

Enlist oneself as an employee, as in Arthur decided to sign on with the new software company. [Late 1800s]

Begin radio or television broadcasting, especially at the beginning of the day, as in What time does the station sign on? [c. 1920]

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