sign
(Informal)
[noun]
Synonyms:
- indication, clue, evidence, hint, mark, proof, signal, symptom, token
- notice, board, placard, warning
- symbol, badge, device, emblem, logo, mark
- omen, augury, auspice, foreboding, portent, warning
[verb]
Synonyms:
- autograph, endorse, initial, inscribe
- gesture, beckon, gesticulate, indicate, signal

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Related Idioms: put one's John Hancock on, put one's John Henry down (or on)
Related Words: gesticulation, gesture, motion, hint, indication, suggestion, warning, symbolization, attestation, evidence, proof, earmark, exponent, indicator, exhibit, show

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English Thesaurus: sign, indication, evidence, symptom, indicator, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. sign¹ S3 W2 /saɪn/ noun
[Word Family: noun: sign, signal, signatory, signature, signing, signaller; verb: sign, signal; adverb: signally; adjective: signed ≠ unsigned]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: signe, from Latin signum 'mark, sign, image, seal']

1. GIVES INFORMATION [countable] a piece of paper, metal, or wood with words or a picture that gives people information, warnings, or instructions:
a sign on the door
road signs
a no smoking sign
Don’t ignore the fog warning signs.

2. SHOWS SOMETHING IS TRUE [countable] an event, fact etc that shows that something is happening or that something is true or exists Synonym : indication
sign of
A red morning sky is a sign of an impending storm.
Crying is seen as a sign of weakness.
A paw print in the dust was a sign that a tiger was close.
There are signs that the situation is improving.
There were no signs of forced entry into the house.

3. MOVEMENT OR SOUND [countable] a movement, sound etc that you make in order to tell someone something:
the thumbs-up sign (=a sign that you make with your hand to show that something is successful)
give/make a sign
Wait until I give the sign.
sign that
Bruce made a sign that he was ready to leave.
sign (for somebody) to do something
Three short blasts on the whistle was the sign to begin.

4. SYMBOL [countable] a mark or shape that has a particular meaning Synonym : symbol:
the dollar sign
a minus sign

5. STAR SIGN [countable] (also star sign) a group of stars, representing one of 12 parts of the year, that some people believe influences your behaviour and your life:
What sign are you?

6. LANGUAGE [uncountable] a language that uses hand movements instead of spoken words, used by people who cannot hear Synonym : sign language

7. there is no sign of somebody/something used to say that someone or something is not in a place or cannot be found:
I waited for two hours but there was still no sign of her.

8. sign of life
a) a movement that shows that someone is alive, or something that shows that there are people in a particular place:
She listened intently for signs of life.
b) something that shows that a situation is becoming more active:
Commercial property markets are now showing definite signs of life.

9. sign of the times something that shows how people live now:
It’s just a sign of the times that many children have mobile phones.

10. the sign of the Cross the hand movement that some Christians make in the shape of a cross, to show respect for God or to protect themselves from evil

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. sign² S2 W2 verb
[Word Family: noun: sign, signal, signatory, signature, signing, signaller; verb: sign, signal; adverb: signally; adjective: signed ≠ unsigned]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: signer, from Latin signare, from signum; ⇒ sign¹]

1. NAME [intransitive and transitive] to write your signature on something to show that you wrote it, agree with it, or were present:
Sign here, please.
The artist had signed his name in the corner of the painting.
You forgot to sign the cheque.
Over a hundred people have signed the petition.
Serena signs her autograph every time she’s asked.
a signed photo of Paul McCartney

2. sign an agreement/contract/treaty etc to make a document, agreement etc official and legal by writing your signature on it:
France has just signed a new trade deal with Japan.

3. MUSIC/SPORT [intransitive and transitive] if a football team or music company signs someone, or if someone signs for them, that person signs a contract in which they agree to work for them:
CBS Records had signed her back in 1988 on a three-album contract.
sign for/to/with
Miller worked in the shipyards before signing for Rangers.
Before long, they had signed with Virgin.

4. sign on the dotted line informal to officially agree to something by signing a contract:
Make sure the repairs are done before you sign on the dotted line.

5. sign a bill/legislation/agreement into law if someone in authority signs something into law, they make it part of the law by signing an official document

6. (all) signed and sealed (also (all) signed, sealed, and delivered) with all the necessary legal documents signed:
It’ll all be signed and sealed by Friday, and you can move in then.

7. USE MOVEMENTS [intransitive] to try to tell someone something or ask them to do something by using signs and movements Synonym : signal
sign to somebody to do something
He signed to the maid to leave the room.
sign for somebody to do something
She signed for us to go inside.

8. LANGUAGE [intransitive and transitive] to use, or translate something into, sign language
—signer noun [countable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. ˈstar sign (also sign) noun [countable]
one of the 12 signs of the zodiac (=the system that uses people’s birth dates to say what will happen to them in the future)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

sign
noun
I. sth that shows that sth exists/may happen
ADJ. clear, definite, distinct, obvious, real, sure, telltale, unmistakable | external, outward, visible All the outward signs of growth in the market are there.
tangible | early, first Strong likes or dislikes of various foods are another of the early signs of pregnancy.
increasing | encouraging, good, healthy, hopeful, positive, welcome He was silent. It was a good sign.
bad, disturbing | danger, ominous, warning Are appliances you buy safe? We point out the danger signs.
VERB + SIGN bear, have The murder had all the signs of a crime of passion.
exhibit, display, give, show By now the fish was showing signs of distress.
detect, find, see, watch out for We detected signs that they were less than enthusiastic about the holiday.
interpret (sth as), read, recognize, see sth as | look for Look carefully for signs of damp.
point out
SIGN + VERB appear, come The first signs of spring appeared.
indicate sth, point to sth All the signs pointed to it being more than just a coincidence.
PREP. at a/the ~ He disappeared at the first sign of trouble.
from ~ The villages regarded the earthquake as a sign from God.
~ of
PHRASES sign of life There was no sign of life in the house (= there seemed to be nobody there).
a sign of the times It's a real sign of the times: 30 small businesses face financial ruin this month.
little/no/not the least/not the slightest sign (of sb/sth) He spoke up without the slightest sign of nervousness.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sign
II. board, etc. giving information/a warning
ADJ. flashing, illuminated | neon | handwritten, painted | exit | inn, pub, shop, street | direction, road, traffic | ‘Stop’ | warning | ‘For sale’, ‘No Smoking’, ‘To let’
VERB + SIGN erect, hang out/up, hold up, put up Some of the marchers were holding up signs and placards. Someone had put up a ‘For Sale’ sign.
see | read | follow Just follow the signs for Bridgend.
SIGN + VERB read sth, say sth The sign read ‘No Fishing’.
indicate sth This sign indicates that cycling is allowed.
point The sign pointed down a small lane.
advertise sth | warn signs warning against trespass
flash A neon sign flashed above the door.
PREP. ~ for/to Follow the road and you'll see signs for the turn-off.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sign
III. movement with a particular meaning
ADJ. frantic | rude | thumbs-up, V
VERB + SIGN give (sb), make She gave me a thumbs-up sign.
communicate through They had to communicate through signs and grunts.
SIGN + NOUN language, system
PREP. ~ for the sign for ‘woman’ in sign language
PHRASES make the sign of the cross The priest made the sign of the cross over the dead body.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sign
IV. mark/symbol with a particular meaning
ADJ. euro, pound, etc. | equals, minus, plus, etc.
VERB + SIGN draw, make The wizard drew some strange signs in the air with his wand.
use I used the Chinese sign for ‘father’ instead of ‘uncle’.
SIGN + VERB mean sth What does this sign mean?
PREP. ~ for I can't remember the sign for ‘square root’.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sign
V. star sign
ADJ. birth, star
VERB + SIGN be born under
PREP. ~ of people born under the sign of Gemini
PHRASES the signs of the Zodiac

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sign
verb
ADV. duly One copy of this letter should be duly signed and returned to us.
formally | personally a first edition of the book, personally signed by the author
VERB + SIGN be required to, have to This is the contract you will be required to sign.
ask sb to, persuade sb to | agree to | refuse to
PREP. for The postman asked me to sign for the parcel.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sign

a clear/obvious/unmistakable sign
There are clear signs of a slowdown in economic growth.
a sure sign (=a very clear sign)
He was walking up and down, a sure sign that he was worried.
a good/positive/encouraging/hopeful sign
If she can move her legs, that’s a good sign.
a bad/ominous sign
The jury was taking ages to make up its mind, which he felt was probably a bad sign.
an outward/visible sign (=one that people can see clearly)
Kim received the news without showing any visible sign of emotion.
a warning sign (=one that shows something bad might be happening)
In this case, social workers missed the warning signs and failed to protect the children.
a telltale/tell-tale sign (=signs that clearly show something bad)
She would not look at me directly, a tell-tale sign that she was embarrassed.
the first sign of something (=the first thing that shows something is happening, or something exists)
They ran off at the first sign of trouble.
an early sign (=a sign near the beginning of something that shows that it is happening, or that it exists)
an early sign of spring
there are signs
There are now signs of an improvement in the economy.
have signs
It had all the signs of a crime of passion.
show signs of something
Did she show any signs of distress?
bear signs of something (=have signs)
The bed was neatly made and bore no signs of having been slept in.
see/detect signs of something
I could see some signs of improvement in her health.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sign [countable] an event, fact etc that shows that something is happening or that something is true or exists:
The curtains were still drawn and there was no sign of activity.
A score of 80 or more is a sign that you are doing very well.
indication [countable] a sign. Indication is more formal than sign:
Recently there have been several indications of improving relations.
There was no indication the killings were related to the drug trade.
evidence [uncountable] facts or signs that show clearly that something exists or is true, especially something that you are trying to prove:
Scientists are hoping to find evidence that there was once life on Mars.
There was not enough evidence to convict him of the murder.
symptom [countable] a sign that someone has an illness or that a serious problem exists:
The first symptoms are tiredness and loss of weight.
Is this a symptom of the decay of Western civilization?
indicator [countable] a sign that shows you what is happening or what is true – used about a process, or about the state or level of something:
There are a number of indicators of economic slowdown.
The tests are considered a good indicator of intelligence.
signal [countable] a sign that shows that you should do something, or that you have a particular attitude:
Severe chest pain is a warning signal that cannot be ignored.
Legalizing drugs could send the wrong signal to young people.
mark [countable] a sign, especially that you respect or honour someone:
People stood in silence as a mark of respect.
It was a mark of her popularity that so many colleagues and friends attended the presentation.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

sign [countable] an event, fact etc that shows that something is happening or that something is true or exists:
The curtains were still drawn and there was no sign of activity.
A score of 80 or more is a sign that you are doing very well.
indication [countable] a sign. Indication is more formal than sign:
Recently there have been several indications of improving relations.
There was no indication the killings were related to the drug trade.
evidence [uncountable] facts or signs that show clearly that something exists or is true, especially something that you are trying to prove:
Scientists are hoping to find evidence that there was once life on Mars.
There was not enough evidence to convict him of the murder.
symptom [countable] a sign that someone has an illness or that a serious problem exists:
The first symptoms are tiredness and loss of weight.
Is this a symptom of the decay of Western civilization?
indicator [countable] a sign that shows you what is happening or what is true – used about a process, or about the state or level of something:
There are a number of indicators of economic slowdown.
The tests are considered a good indicator of intelligence.
signal [countable] a sign that shows that you should do something, or that you have a particular attitude:
Severe chest pain is a warning signal that cannot be ignored.
Legalizing drugs could send the wrong signal to young people.
mark [countable] a sign, especially that you respect or honour someone:
People stood in silence as a mark of respect.
It was a mark of her popularity that so many colleagues and friends attended the presentation.
write to use a pen or pencil to make words, letters etc:
Have you written a shopping list?
The children are learning to read and write.
write something down to write something on paper, in order to remember it or make a record:
He wrote down everything she said.
put to write something in a particular place, or to write particular words:
I’ve put the dates of the meetings in my diary.
At the end of the email she put ‘PS I love you’.
put something in writing to write something that you have agreed or promised, so that there is an official record:
They said they would pay me 50%, but they haven’t actually put it in writing.
make a note of something to write information that you might need later:
I’ll just make a note of your address.
Make a note in your diary.
take notes to write things while someone is speaking or while something is happening, so that you can use them later:
His lawyer was with him taking notes.
scrawl /skrɔːl $ skrɒːl/ to write something carelessly and untidily, especially in big letters – often used to show disapproval:
Someone had scrawled graffiti on the school wall.
He’d scrawled a few unhelpful comments at the bottom of my work.
fill something in/out to write information on a form or other official document:
Please fill in the application form in black ink.
Would you mind filling out a questionnaire?
sign to write your name at the end of a letter, document etc:
Read the contract carefully, and then sign it.
Don’t forget to sign your name.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

write to use a pen or pencil to make words, letters etc:
Have you written a shopping list?
The children are learning to read and write.
write something down to write something on paper, in order to remember it or make a record:
He wrote down everything she said.
put to write something in a particular place, or to write particular words:
I’ve put the dates of the meetings in my diary.
At the end of the email she put ‘PS I love you’.
put something in writing to write something that you have agreed or promised, so that there is an official record:
They said they would pay me 50%, but they haven’t actually put it in writing.
make a note of something to write information that you might need later:
I’ll just make a note of your address.
Make a note in your diary.
take notes to write things while someone is speaking or while something is happening, so that you can use them later:
His lawyer was with him taking notes.
scrawl /skrɔːl $ skrɒːl/ to write something carelessly and untidily, especially in big letters – often used to show disapproval:
Someone had scrawled graffiti on the school wall.
He’d scrawled a few unhelpful comments at the bottom of my work.
fill something in/out to write information on a form or other official document:
Please fill in the application form in black ink.
Would you mind filling out a questionnaire?
sign to write your name at the end of a letter, document etc:
Read the contract carefully, and then sign it.
Don’t forget to sign your name.
jot something down to write something very quickly:
Start your essay by jotting down a few ideas.
He checked the meter and jotted something down.
scribble to write something quickly and in an untidy way:
Andy scribbled a quick note and handed it to the chairman.
I’ve scribbled something here but I can’t read it now.
enter to make words or numbers appear on a computer screen by pressing the keys:
You have to enter your password twice.
The patients medical records are entered into a database.
key something in/type something in to write or record information on a computer, especially something you are copying:
I’ve keyed in my credit card details.
To visit our website, just type in our the address.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

sign
saɪn
See: high sign , indian sign , road sign

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲