Meaning of "sign" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD SIGN

From Old French signe, from Latin signum a sign.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF SIGN

sign  [saɪn]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SIGN

Sign is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb sign in English.

WHAT DOES SIGN MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Sign

A sign is an object, quality, event, or entity whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. A natural sign bears a causal relation to its object—for instance, thunder is a sign of storm. A conventional sign signifies by agreement, as a full stop signifies the end of a sentence.. Door sign The way a sign signifies is called semiosis which is a topic of semiotics and philosophy of language. How a sign is perceived depends upon what is intended or expressed in the semiotic relationship of: ▪ Signification ▪ Significance ▪ Importance Thus, for example, people may speak of the significance of events, the signification of characters, the meaning of sentences, or the import of a communication. Different ways of relating signs to their objects are called modes of signification. Uses of conventional signs are varied. Usually the goal is to elicit a response or simply inform. That can be achieved by marking something, displaying a message, drawing attention or presenting evidence of an underlying cause, performing a bodily gesture, etc.

Definition of sign in the English dictionary

The first definition of sign in the dictionary is something that indicates or acts as a token of a fact, condition, etc, that is not immediately or outwardly observable. Other definition of sign is an action or gesture intended to convey information, a command, etc. Sign is also a board, placard, etc, displayed in public and inscribed with words or designs intended to inform, warn, etc.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO SIGN

PRESENT

Present

I sign

you sign

he/she/it signs

we sign

you sign

they sign

Present continuous

I am signing

you are signing

he/she/it is signing

we are signing

you are signing

they are signing

Present perfect

I have signed

you have signed

he/she/it has signed

we have signed

you have signed

they have signed

Present perfect continuous

I have been signing

you have been signing

he/she/it has been signing

we have been signing

you have been signing

they have been signing

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I signed

you signed

he/she/it signed

we signed

you signed

they signed

Past continuous

I was signing

you were signing

he/she/it was signing

we were signing

you were signing

they were signing

Past perfect

I had signed

you had signed

he/she/it had signed

we had signed

you had signed

they had signed

Past perfect continuous

I had been signing

you had been signing

he/she/it had been signing

we had been signing

you had been signing

they had been signing

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will sign

you will sign

he/she/it will sign

we will sign

you will sign

they will sign

Future continuous

I will be signing

you will be signing

he/she/it will be signing

we will be signing

you will be signing

they will be signing

Future perfect

I will have signed

you will have signed

he/she/it will have signed

we will have signed

you will have signed

they will have signed

Future perfect continuous

I will have been signing

you will have been signing

he/she/it will have been signing

we will have been signing

you will have been signing

they will have been signing

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would sign

you would sign

he/she/it would sign

we would sign

you would sign

they would sign

Conditional continuous

I would be signing

you would be signing

he/she/it would be signing

we would be signing

you would be signing

they would be signing

Conditional perfect

I would have sign

you would have sign

he/she/it would have sign

we would have sign

you would have sign

they would have sign

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been signing

you would have been signing

he/she/it would have been signing

we would have been signing

you would have been signing

they would have been signing

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you sign
we let´s sign
you sign

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to sign

Past participle

signed

Present Participle

signing

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «SIGN»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «sign» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of sign

augury · auspice · autograph · badge · beckon · board · character · cipher · clue · cue · device · emblem · ensign · evidence · figure · foreboding · form · gesticulate · gesticulation · gesture · giveaway · hint · indicate · indication · initial · inscribe · logo · manifestation · mark · motion · note · notice · omen · outline · placard · portent · presage · proof · representation · road sign · shape · signal · signpost · spoor · subscribe · suggestion · symbol · symptom · token · trace · traffic sign · vestige · wake-up call · warning · wave · writing on the wall

TRANSLATION OF SIGN

Find out the translation of sign to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of sign from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «sign» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 标志
• Translator English - Spanish: señal
• English: sign
• Translator English - Hindi: साइन
• Translator English - Arabic: عَلَامَة
• Translator English - Russian: знак
• Translator English - Portuguese: sinal
• Translator English - Bengali: চিহ্ন
• Translator English - French: signe
• Translator English - Malay: Tanda
• Translator English - German: Zeichen
• Translator English - Japanese: 兆候
• Translator English - Korean: 표시
• Translator English - Javanese: Tandha
• Translator English - Vietnamese: dấu hiệu
• Translator English - Tamil: அடையாளம்
• Translator English - Marathi: चिन्ह
• Translator English - Turkish: işaret
• Translator English - Italian: segno
• Translator English - Polish: znak
• Translator English - Ukrainian: знак
• Translator English - Romanian: semn
• Translator English - Greek: σήμα
• Translator English - Afrikaans: teken
• Translator English - Swedish: tecken
• Translator English - Norwegian: tegn

10 QUOTES WITH «SIGN»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word sign.

1

Paul Allen

While I sign off on trades or free agents, I've rarely overruled my basketball people's decisions. But I'm not shy about steering the discussion or pushing deeper if something doesn't make sense to me.

2

Fred Armisen

Chalkboards being used inside the restaurant seem to be a good sign that the proprietors are proud of their food, and that's kind of nice, actually - it's a nice personal touch.

3

Simon Armitage

I once stood in the middle of New York city watching my name go round the electronic zipper sign in Times Square and I felt pretty thrilled, but not quite as thrilled as I felt when I saw my name in the 'Examiner' for the first time.

4

Mary Kay Ash

Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.' Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.

5

Dennis Bergkamp

Other clubs never came into my thoughts once I knew Arsenal wanted to sign me.

6

Matt Berninger

A suit is a sign of respect.

7

Eve Best

There's this funny thing with pilots that you have to sign the contract to do the whole job before you're even offered the part. And they make about a million pilots a year, but hardly any of them get turned into series.

8

Abdelaziz Bouteflika

A nation must be embraced, rehabilitated and expressed as a tangible sign of human creativity and as an integral element of mankind's heritage.

9

Lorraine Bracco

If I am going to get in a cab to go home, and I see a sign for an open house, I will go in. I like real estate because I am the boss.

10

Louise Brown

It took a brave editor in the U.S. to sign a contract for Dancing Girls, and without her belief in the book, I'm not sure it would ever have found its way into print.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SIGN»

Discover the use of sign in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to sign and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

The American Sign Language Phrase Book

This edition's new chapter on technology boasts 50 phrases to help you communicate about the Internet, computing, video relay, and more.

Barbara Bernstein Fant, Betty Miller, Lou Fant, 2008

The Sign Painter

Here Allen Say tells a haunting and provocative story of dreams and choices for readers of all ages.

Allen Say, 2000

American Sign Language: A Student Text

Best known as the Green Books, the American Sign Language books provide teachers and students of American Sign Language (ASL) with the complete means for learning about the culture, community, and the native language of Deaf people.

Charlotte Baker-Shenk, 1991

Dirty Sign Language: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" To ...

Provides signs for a variety of slang terms, swear words, insults, and explicit sexual terms.

Allison O, Van James T., 2011

The Linguistics of British Sign Language: An Introduction

This is the first detailed explanation of the way British Sign Language works and is the product of many years' experience of research and teaching sign linguistics to deaf and hearing people.

Rachel Sutton-Spence, Bencie Woll, 1999

Australian Sign Language (Auslan): An introduction to sign ...

This is first comprehensive introduction to the linguistics of Auslan, the sign language of Australia.

Trevor Johnston, Adam Schembri, 2007

Learn Sign Language in a Hurry: Grasp the Basics of American ...

This book is a basic guide to the alphabet, vocabulary, and techniques it takes to connect using American Sign Language. Whether signing out of necessity or learning for the sake of growing, you will enjoy this practical primer.

Irene Duke, 2009

What's Your Sun Sign

This witty book, without any astrological clutter, is your perfect companion to understanding your friends, family, professional associates and more importantly, your self.

Chetan D. Narain, 2011

Sign Language and Linguistic Universals

This 2006 study compares sign languages with spoken languages, in order to seek their shared universal properties.

Wendy Sandler, Diane Lillo-Martin, 2006

American Sign Language: A Teacher's Resource Text on Grammar ...

This volume of the American Sign Language series explains in depth the grammar and structure of ASL while also presenting a description of the Deaf community in the United States.

Charlotte Lee Baker-Shenk, 1991

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SIGN»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term sign is used in the context of the following news items.

LeBron James signs deal to return to Cavs

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James has signed a two-year contract with the ... But on the first day teams could sign players, James made his intentions known to the ... «ESPN, Jul 15»

Do you speak Canadian road sign?

The signs of New Brunswick's highways and byways aren't exactly done wrong, but they seem to require a cognitive leap of which our American sensibilities, ... «Boston Globe, Jul 15»

Sign inside Baltimore police van under investigation

BALTIMORE —The Baltimore City Police Department has launched an internal investigation after a WBAL-TV 11 News viewer shared four photographs of a sign ... «WBAL Baltimore, Jul 15»

Monta Ellis to sign four-year, $44M deal with Pacers

The Pacers' push to sign Ellis was at the behest of team president Larry Bird, who led a contingent of team officials that dined with Ellis on Wednesday night. «ESPN, Jul 15»

Tiny Arizona church wins Supreme Court case on signs

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that cities and towns generally cannot limit roadside signs based on what they say. The justices ... «USA TODAY, Jun 15»

Stop Calling Sign Language "Cool"

A few days ago, a good friend and fellow linguaphile posted a video on my Facebook wall of Shelby Mitchusson, a hearing American Sign Language (ASL) ... «Slate Magazine, Jun 15»

These Zodiac Signs Rule The World

Scorpios make up nearly 12% of all government heads, including Australian prime minister Tony Abbott and Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani. Presidential ... «Vocativ, Jun 15»

Watch This Incredible Sign Language Version of Eminem's 'Lose …

Shelby Mitchusson uploaded this video of herself performing “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, entirely in American Sign Language, back in September. Now, it's ... «TIME, May 15»

Scott Walker to Sign Ban on Abortions for Rape, Incest

He signed legislation defunding Planned Parenthood in the Badger State and requiring that women seeking abortions get ultrasounds first but then ran an ad in ... «Daily Beast, May 15»

Signs will memorialize Officer Pierson's service

Rochester Police Sgt. Justin Collins has memorialized more than 100 officers across the state with signs marking the place they lost their lives. He and his group, ... «Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Apr 15»