sign

Noun

Noun

×

A word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea.

Plural

signs

Verb

Verb

×

A word that expresses an action, state, or occurrence.

present (v1)

sign

past (v2)

signed

past participle (v3)

signed

present participle

signing

3rd person singular

signs

Noun

Noun

×

A word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea.

1. 1.A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.

   • Those clouds show signs of raining soon.
   • Those clouds show little sign of raining soon.
   • "It's a sign of the end of the world," the doom prophet said.

2. 2.A mark or another symbol used to represent something.

   • The sharp sign indicates that the pitch of the note is raised a half step.
   • I gave them a thumbs-up sign.

3. 3.Physical evidence left by an animal.

   • The hunters found deer sign at the end of the trail.
   • Animal sign is the key to eliminating guesswork when setting your traps. Only trap where there is sign. Sign is anything the animal leaves as a trace that indicates it may have passed through the area.

4. 4.A clearly visible object, generally flat, bearing a short message in words or pictures.

   • The sign in the window advertised a room for rent.
   • I missed the sign at the corner so I took the wrong turn.
   • The shops were, therefore, distinguished by painted signs, which gave a gay and grotesque aspect to the streets.

Verb

Verb

×

A word that expresses an action, state, or occurrence.

1. 1.To make a mark

   • Please sign on the dotted line.
   • I forgot to sign that letter to my aunt.
   • Just sign your name at the bottom there.

2. 2.To indicate

   • I signed to Brown to make his retreat.
   • He signed me that I should follow him through the doorway.

3. 3.To make the sign of the cross

   • Shaking a fist at him with one fierce arm, / Signing himself with the other because of Christ.
   • We receive this child into the congregation of Christ's flock, and do sign him with the sign of the cross.
   • At the baptismal ceremony the child was […] signed with the cross in holy water.

4. 4.To determine the sign of

Overall

Common· #858

By learning goal

Everyday conversation

Uncommon

General reading & writing

Common

Academic

Rare

Literature

Uncommon

Synonyms

• mark

Word family

• design
• resign
• signal