Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use semaphore in a sentence

16 example sentences · noun, verb

Semaphore means any equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to represent letters of the alphabet, or words. Example: “The thread increments the semaphore to prevent other threads from entering the critical section at the same time.”

Examples of semaphore by meaning

nounAny equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to...

  • It is essentially an emergency device, primarily for use on single track railroads, and is intended to place the control of semaphores at the several stations under the control of the dispatcher.1906 July 19, “The Wright Telegraph Railroad Signal”, in The Iron Age, volume LXXVIII, New York, N.Y.: David Williams Company […], →OCLC...
  • Now, a century later, semaphores and discs are giving place to colour and position lights.1941 April, “Centenary of the Semaphore Signal”, in Railway Magazine, page 171
  • Travelling by the rural tramway was quite an experience; the small car would bounce about on the bad track like a ship in a rough sea; at some places, there would even be genuine railway semaphore signals controlling the trams.1968, F[rits] van der Gragt, Europe's Greatest Tramway Network: Tramways in the Rhein–Ruhr Area of Germany (Uitgaven van de Nederlandsche...

nounA visual system for transmitting information using the above equipment; especially, by means of two flags held one in...

  • As always in Lisbon, my heart throbbed semaphores to call Tónio.2008, Katherine Vaz, “Lisbon Story”, in Our Lady of the Artichokes: And Other Portuguese-American Stories, Lincoln, Neb.; London...
  • Semaphore—a system of communicating over long distances by holding the arms or two flags in certain positions—is not a very efficient mode of communication for us.2010, Jonathan Balcombe, “Communicating”, in Second Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, part II...

nounA bit, token, fragment of code, or some other mechanism which is used to restrict access to a shared function or device...

  • The thread increments the semaphore to prevent other threads from entering the critical section at the same time.
  • A semaphore makes sure that the different processes don't step on each other's toes when they access the shared memory segment.2003, David Sklar, Adam Trachtenberg, “Variables”, in Paula Ferguson, editor, PHP Cookbook, Sebastopol, Calif.: O’Reilly & Associates...

verbTo signal using, or as if using, a semaphore, with the implication that it is done nonverbally.

  • They are semaphoring!1920 September, Jack London, chapter X, in Hearts of Three, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, page 137
  • Minutes later, unseen by the defenders, he semaphored back across the valley that he was going to make a fresh attempt.1990, Peter Hopkirk, “The Climactic Years”, in The Great Game: On Secret Service in High Asia, London: John Murray, →ISBN; republished...
  • Her father hailed her, wildly semaphoring with his hot dog.2008, Elizabeth Elwood, “Gilda Died for Love”, in A Black Tie Affair: And Other Mystery Stories, Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 113

More sentences with semaphore

  • This strict sense of telegraph developed from French usage for Napoleon's overland semaphore network but rather arbitrarily excludes similar Chinese and other signalling networks.From the entry telegraph
  • The moves were a TikTokky blend of semaphore and street dance, busy with content.2020 November 13, Ludovic Hunter-Tilney, “Benee’s ‘Hey u x’ illustrates the upside of TikTok-dominated pop”, in Financial Times. From the entry percolate
  • The phased programme will run from 1 to 23 February, with semaphore signals replaced with modern colour lights.2019 October, “February completion for Wherry lines resignalling”, in Modern Railways, page 22. From the entry semaphore signal
  • The actors carry off this farce with the usual crude camp, semaphore gestures, shameless hamminess, and heavy ogling.1988 October 21, Lawrence Bommer, “Magnum Farce”, in Chicago Reader. From the entry hamminess
  • The distant signal is like the ordinary French signal No. 5, but at such a junction it has a fishtailed semaphore shut up in the post when normal.1939 December, T. S. Lascelles, “French Signal Aspects”, in Railway Magazine, page 415. From the entry fishtailed
  • The colour-lights showed up much better than the semaphores which, in spite of their approach warning boards, are not readily visible at any distance between the supports for the catenaries.1962 April, P. W. B. Semmens, “The Netherlands Railways today”, in Modern Railways, page 241. From the entry catenary

Meaning of semaphore

  1. noun Any equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to represent letters of the alphabet, or words.
  2. noun A visual system for transmitting information using the above equipment; especially, by means of two flags held one in each hand, using an alphabetic and numeric code based on the position of the signaller's arms; flag semaphore.
  3. noun A bit, token, fragment of code, or some other mechanism which is used to restrict access to a shared function or device to a single process at a time, or to synchronize and coordinate events in different processes.

Full definition of semaphore

Questions about semaphore in a sentence

How do you use semaphore in a sentence?
Semaphore is used as a noun and verb. For example: “The thread increments the semaphore to prevent other threads from entering the critical section at the same time.”
What is a short sentence with semaphore?
“They are semaphoring!”
What does semaphore mean?
Semaphore means any equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to represent letters of the alphabet, or words.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: semaphore (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use semaphore in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/semaphore. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.