sign

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

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.

“Dark clouds are often a sign that it will rain soon.”

“Economists noted that the sudden increase in consumer spending was a clear sign of returning confidence in the national market.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

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.

Español:seña

“He gave a thumbs-up sign to show that everything was okay.”

“The referee made a specific hand sign to indicate that the goal had been disallowed due to an earlier foul.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Religion

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.

“What is your star sign? I was born in April, so I am an Aries.”

“Although she claimed not to believe in astrology, she still checked the predictions for her sign in the Sunday newspaper.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Mathematics Technical

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.

“If you change the sign from minus to plus, the answer will be different.”

“The student failed to notice the negative sign before the bracket, which led to a cumulative error in the final calculation.”

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.

“You need to sign the contract at the bottom of the last page.”

“The treaty was finally signed by all representatives after three days of intensive negotiations in the capital.”

B1 · Intermediate Linguistics

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.

“She learned how to sign so she could talk to her cousin who cannot hear.”

“The interpreter began to sign the speech simultaneously, ensuring the deaf members of the audience could follow the debate in real time.”