Word.ws English Dictionary

sign

UK/saɪn/

More pronunciations (2)Fewer pronunciations

Australia/sɑe̯n/

sign noun: a visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.

sign: a visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Image: Watakichiponyo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

sign (countable and uncountable, plural signs)

  1. A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.
    • Their angry expressions were a clear sign they didn't want to talk.
    • Those clouds show signs of raining soon.
    Synonyms:
    indication, evidence
    1. An omen.
      • "It's a sign of the end of the world," the doom prophet said.
    2. A property of the body that indicates a disease and, unlike a symptom, can be detected objectively by someone other than the patient.
      • Signs of disease are objective, whereas symptoms are subjective.
  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. (Australia, Canada, US, uncountable) 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.2015, Dave Canterbury, Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival, page 127
  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.
  5. A wonder; miracle; prodigy.
    • And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 4:17
  6. An astrological sign.
    • Your sign is Taurus? That's no surprise.
  7. Positive or negative polarity, as denoted by the + or - sign.
    • I got the magnitude right, but the sign was wrong.
  8. 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.
    • And why not, as well as our dumbe men dispute, argue and tell histories by signes?1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC
    • In American Sign Language (ASL), for instance, the sign for 'catch' is formed with one hand (in the role of agent) moving across the body (an action) to grasp the forefinger of the other hand (the patient).2007, Marcel Danesi, The Quest for Meaning
  9. (uncountable) Sign language in general.
    • Sorry, I don't know sign very well.
    • "He don't talk English, only Cheyenne and sign." "You speak Cheyenne," Mason argued. "Why does he need an interpreter?"1950, Dorothy M. Johnson, War Shirt; in Indian Country, London: Corgi, 1961, page 108
  10. 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).)
    • A Noun substantive and a Noun adjective may be thus distinguished, that a substantive may have the sign a or the before it; as, puer, a boy, the boy; but an adjective cannot, as, bonus, good.1692, Thomas Bennet, Short Introduction of Grammar ... of the Latine Tongue
    • A Pronoun is a Noun implying a Person, but not admitting the Sign a or the before it.1753, Charles Davies, Busby's English Introduction to the Latin Tongue Examined, page 11
  11. A military emblem carried on a banner or standard.
    • The great Ensign of Messiah blaz'd Aloft by Angels born, his Sign in Heav'n.1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...

Verb

sign (third-person singular simple present signs, present participle signing, simple past and past participle signed)

  1. (archaic, transitive) To seal (a document etc.) with an identifying seal or symbol.
    • The Queen signed her letter with the regal signet.
  2. (transitive) To mark, to put or leave a mark on.
    • Meantime revolving in his thoughtful mind / The scar, with which his manly knee was sign'd […].1726, Elijah Fenton, The Odyssey of Homer
  3. (transitive) To validate or ratify (a document) by writing one's signature on it.
    • Enquire the Iewes house out, giue him this deed, / And let him signe it […].c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
  4. (transitive) More generally, to write one's signature on (something) as a means of identification etc.
    • I forgot to sign that letter to my aunt.
  5. (reflexive, transitive) To write (one's name) as a signature.
    • Just sign your name at the bottom there.
    • I received a letter from some woman who signs herself ‘Mrs Trellis’.
  6. (intransitive) To write one's signature.
    • Please sign on the dotted line.
  7. (intransitive) To finalise a contractual agreement to work for a given sports team, record label etc.
    • Agents say Wales back Gavin Henson has signed for Cardiff Blues.2011, The Guardian, (headline), 18 Oct 2011
  8. (transitive) To engage (a sports player, musician etc.) in a contract.
    • It was a great month. I managed to sign three major players.
  9. (transitive) To bless (someone or something) with the sign of the cross; to mark with the sign of the cross.
    • We receive this child into the congregation of Christ's flock, and do sign him with the sign of the cross.1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC
    • At the baptismal ceremony the child was […] signed with the cross in holy water.1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 34
  10. (reflexive) To cross oneself.
    • Shaking a fist at him with one fierce arm, / Signing himself with the other because of Christ.1855, Robert Browning, Men and Women
  11. (intransitive) To communicate using a gesture or signal.
    • I signed to Brown to make his retreat.1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown...
  12. (transitive) To communicate or make known (a meaning, intention, etc.) by a sign.
    • Pierre signed his acquiescence, and Isabel proceeded:1852, Herman Melville, Pierre; or The Ambiguities
Show 4 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. (transitive) To communicate using gestures to (someone).
    • He signed me that I should follow him through the doorway.
  2. (intransitive) To use sign language.
  3. (transitive) To furnish (a road etc.) with signs.
  4. To determine the sign of
    1. (transitive) To calculate or derive whether a quantity has a positive or negative sign.

sign meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

sign in Hindi

a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
निशान niśān, संकेत saṅket
to make (a document) official by writing one's signature
हस्ताक्षर करना hastākṣar karnā, दस्तख़त करना dastaxat karnā
to write one's signature on a document
हस्ताक्षर करना hastākṣar karnā
to write one's signature somewhere
हस्ताक्षर करना hastākṣar karnā

sign in Tamil

குறி, பிறிதொன்றைச் சுட்டும் ஒன்று, சுட்டி, அறிகுறி், அடையாளம், சைகை

sign in Marathi

sign, mark
खूण khūṇ, चिन्ह cinha

sign in Urdu

a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
اِشارَہ iśāra, نِشان niśān, عَلامَت 'alāmat, رَمْز ramz
sign language in general — see also sign language
اِشارے کی زُبان iśāre kī zubān
to make (a document) official by writing one's signature
دستخط کرنا dastaxat karnā
More languagesFewer languages
sign in Bengali
ইশারা iśara, আলামত alamot, সঙ্কেত śoṅket, দস্তখৎ করা dostokhot kora
sign in Telugu
సూచన sūcana, శకునం śakunaṁ, గుర్తు gurtu
sign in Malayalam
ചിഹ്നനം cihnanaṁ, അങ്കിത aṅkita, മുദ്ര mudra, സങ്കേതം saṅkētaṁ
sign in Kannada
ಸಂಕೇತ saṅkēta, ಅಂಕಿತಹಾಕು aṅkitahāku, ಜ್ಞಾಪಕ jñāpaka
sign in Punjabi
ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ cinnh
sign in Gujarati
નિશાની niśānī, નિશાન niśān, ઇશારો iśāro, લિંગ liṅg
sign in Odia
ଚିହ୍ନ, ସ୍ୱାକ୍ଷର କରନ୍ତୁ
sign in Sanskrit
राशि rāśi
sign in Assamese
চিন sin
sign in Nepali
चिन्ह, हस्ताक्षर गर्ने, हस्ताक्षर गर्न
sign in Pashto
بېلګه belgá, دستخطول dəstxátawᶕl
sign in Tagalog
tanda, pananda, pumirma, nagpirma
sign in Arabic
إِشَارَة ʔišāra, عَلَامَة ʕalāma, وَقَّعَ waqqaʕa, لافِتَة lāfita
sign in Malay
tanda, isyarat, sain, menandatangani
sign in Indonesian
tanda, menandatangani
sign in Persian
امضاء کردن emzâ' kardan
sign in Thai
ป้าย bpâai, สัญญา sǎn-yaa, ลงชื่อ long-chʉ̂ʉ, เซ็น sen
sign in Vietnamese
dấu, tín hiệu, bảng chỉ dẫn, cung
sign in Myanmar
သင်္ကေတ sangketa., လက်မှတ် lakhmat

Examples of sign in a sentence

  • Those clouds show little sign of raining soon.
  • No, I don't know why you're not fair / I give you my love, but you don't care / So what is right and what is wrong? / Gimme a sign1993 January 18, Dee Dee Halligan, Junior Torello, “What Is Love”, in The Album, performed by Haddaway:
  • The sound of the Orlando dinner train whistle reminds me that it ' s already Friday, an auditory sign.2000, Geoffrey McGuinness, Carmen McGuinness, How to Increase Your Child's Verbal Intelligence: The Language Wise Method, Yale University...
  • The shops were, therefore, distinguished by painted signs, which gave a gay and grotesque aspect to the streets.1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter III, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify...
  • And some linguistic signs, like “the”, “and” or “with”, may lack apparent objects, though they are clearly meaningful and interpretable.2008, Eero Tarasti, Robert S. Hatten, A Sounding of Signs: Modalities and Moments in Music, Culture, and Philosophy : Essays in Honor of...

All 40 example sentences with sign

Synonyms of sign

All synonyms of sign

Forms of sign

Noun
pluralsigns
Verb
third-person singular presentsigns
present participlesigning
past participlesigned
pastsigned
second-person singular present (archaic)signest
second-person singular past (archaic)signedst
third-person singular present (archaic)signeth

Past tense of sign: signed

Plural of sign: signs

Origin of sign

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.

From Middle English signen, seinen, seinien, partly from Old English seġnian (“to mark; sign”) and partly from Anglo-Norman seigner, seiner et al., Old French signer et al., and their source Latin signāre (“to mark, seal, indicate, signify”); all from Latin signum (“a mark, sign”); see Etymology 1, above. Compare sain.

Words formed from sign

Phrases with sign

135 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with sign

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about sign

What does sign mean?
Sign means a visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.
What is sign in Hindi?
Sign in Hindi is निशान (niśān), संकेत (saṅket), हस्ताक्षर करना (hastākṣar karnā). See Sign meaning in Hindi.
How do you use sign in a sentence?
Those clouds show little sign of raining soon.
What part of speech is sign?
Sign can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce sign?
Sign is pronounced /saɪn/ (UK).
What is the plural of sign?
The plural of sign is signs.

Words near sign in the dictionary

  1. sigmoids
  2. Sigmon
  3. Sigmons
  4. Sigmund
  5. sigmurethrous
  6. sign
  7. sign away
  8. sign bit
  9. sign bits
  10. sign function
  11. sign functions

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: sign (page history and authors); sign (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); खूण (Marathi) (page history and authors); അങ്കിത (Malayalam) (page history and authors); ಅಂಕಿತಹಾಕು (Kannada) (page history and authors); ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ (Punjabi) (page history and authors); ઇશારો (Gujarati) (page history and authors); sign (Odia, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); sign (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-us-sign.ogg, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-sign.wav.

Cite this entry: “sign.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sign. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.