signpost

[sahyn-pohst]

noun

1. a post bearing a sign that gives information or guidance.

2. any immediately perceptible indication, obvious clue, etc.

verb (used with object)

1. to provide (a place, route, etc.) with signposts.

signpost

/ ˈsaɪnˌpəʊst /

noun

1. a post bearing a sign that shows the way, as at a roadside

2. something that serves as a clue or indication; sign

verb

1. to mark with signposts

2. to indicate direction towards

   the camp site is signposted from the road

Word History and Origins

Origin of signpost¹

First recorded in 1610–20; sign + post ¹

Example Sentences

Bookbags still hung on hooks in classrooms; dishes and pictures littered the floors of houses; signposts pitched at angles across streets.

Read more on Literature

At least three signposts matter in determining what happens next.

Read more on Salon

Regardless of the sticker we slap on this signpost, it refers to the late-20s urge to commit to your path or trash it and start fresh.

Read more on Salon

Absent the usual signposts, Wall Street has had to turn to other indicators such as credit-card spending, corporate earning results and state jobless claims to try to piece together what is going on.

Read more on MarketWatch

Spurs celebrated entry into the Champions League as a signpost to serious progress but they are still acclimatising to the demands of Europe's elite tournament.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• catalog 
• clue 
• directory 
• guidebook 
• handbook 
• key 
• manual