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sign

Pronunciation: /saɪn/

The English word “sign” has 20 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.
  2. An omen.
  3. A property of the body that indicates a disease and, unlike a symptom, can be detected objectively by someone other than the patient.
  4. A mark or another symbol used to represent something.
  5. Physical evidence left by an animal.
  6. A clearly visible object, generally flat, bearing a short message in words or pictures.
  7. A wonder; miracle; prodigy.
  8. An astrological sign.
  9. Positive or negative polarity, as denoted by the + or - sign.
  10. A specific gesture or motion used to communicate by those with speaking or hearing difficulties; now specifically, a linguistic unit in sign language equivalent to word in spoken languages.
  11. Sign language in general.
  12. A semantic unit, something that conveys meaning or information (e.g. a word of written language); (linguistics, semiotics) a unit consisting of a signifier and a signified concept. (See sign (semiotics).)
  13. A military emblem carried on a banner or standard.

verb

  1. To seal (a document etc.) with an identifying seal or symbol.
  2. To mark, to put or leave a mark on.
  3. To validate or ratify (a document) by writing one's signature on it.
  4. More generally, to write one's signature on (something) as a means of identification etc.
  5. To write (one's name) as a signature.
  6. To write one's signature.
  7. To finalise a contractual agreement to work for a given sports team, record label etc.

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.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.