sign
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a board or notice with words or pictures that gives information or instructions.
n.a physical object, typically a board or placard, displaying a message, warning, or direction.
Simple“The road sign told the driver to turn left at the next junction.”
In context“The local council erected a prominent sign warning pedestrians that the coastal path was prone to erosion during the winter months.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
n.something that shows that a situation exists or is likely to happen.
n.an indicator or piece of evidence suggesting the presence, existence, or imminence of something.
Simple“Dark clouds are often a sign that it will rain soon.”
In context“Economists noted that the sudden increase in consumer spending was a clear sign of returning confidence in the national market.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a movement of your hand or a mark that has a special meaning.
n.a gesture, mark, or symbol used to represent a specific meaning or to communicate without speech.
Simple“He gave a thumbs-up sign to show that everything was okay.”
In context“The referee made a specific hand sign to indicate that the goal had been disallowed due to an earlier foul.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
n.one of the twelve areas of the zodiac, like Leo or Taurus.
n.any of the twelve divisions of the zodiac, used in astrology to predict character or future events.
Simple“What is your star sign? I was born in April, so I am an Aries.”
In context“Although she claimed not to believe in astrology, she still checked the predictions for her sign in the Sunday newspaper.”
Synonymszodiac signstar sign - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the symbol + or - used to show if a number is positive or negative.
n.the property of being positive or negative, represented by the plus or minus symbol.
Simple“If you change the sign from minus to plus, the answer will be different.”
In context“The student failed to notice the negative sign before the bracket, which led to a cumulative error in the final calculation.”
Synonyms - 06 A2 Elementary
v.to write your name on a document to show that you agree with it.
v.to write one's signature on a document to formalise, approve, or acknowledge it.
Simple“You need to sign the contract at the bottom of the last page.”
In context“The treaty was finally signed by all representatives after three days of intensive negotiations in the capital.”
PitfallPlease sign on this paper. Please sign this paper.The verb 'sign' is usually transitive; you sign the document directly without using 'on'.
- 07 B1 Intermediate
v.to communicate using your hands and gestures instead of speaking.
v.to communicate using a system of manual gestures, particularly as used by the deaf community.
Simple“She learned how to sign so she could talk to her cousin who cannot hear.”
In context“The interpreter began to sign the speech simultaneously, ensuring the deaf members of the audience could follow the debate in real time.”
Usage sign in to continue · sign a new · signs of life
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. 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.