sign, mark (noun)

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

"he showed signs of strain"; "they welcomed the signs of spring"

sign (noun)

a public display of a message

"he posted signs in all the shop windows"

signal, signaling, sign (noun)

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

"signals from the boat suddenly stopped"

signboard, sign (noun)

structure displaying a board on which advertisements can be posted

"the highway was lined with signboards"

sign of the zodiac, star sign, sign, mansion, house, planetary house (noun)

(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided

sign (noun)

(medicine) any objective evidence of the presence of a disorder or disease

"there were no signs of asphyxiation"

polarity, sign (noun)

having an indicated pole (as the distinction between positive and negative electric charges)

"he got the polarity of the battery reversed"; "charges of opposite sign"

augury, sign, foretoken, preindication (noun)

an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come

"he hoped it was an augury"; "it was a sign from God"

sign (noun)

a gesture that is part of a sign language

sign (noun)

a fundamental linguistic unit linking a signifier to that which is signified

"The bond between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary"--de Saussure

sign (adj)

a character indicating a relation between quantities

"don't forget the minus sign"

gestural, sign(a), signed, sign-language(a) (verb)

used of the language of the deaf

sign, subscribe (verb)

mark with one's signature; write one's name (on)

"She signed the letter and sent it off"; "Please sign here"

sign, ratify (verb)

approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation

"All parties ratified the peace treaty"; "Have you signed your contract yet?"

sign (verb)

be engaged by a written agreement

"He signed to play the casino on Dec. 18"; "The soprano signed to sing the new opera"

sign, contract, sign on, sign up (verb)

engage by written agreement

"They signed two new pitchers for the next season"

sign, signal, signalize, signalise (verb)

communicate silently and non-verbally by signals or signs

"He signed his disapproval with a dismissive hand gesture"; "The diner signaled the waiters to bring the menu"

sign (verb)

place signs, as along a road

"sign an intersection"; "This road has been signed"

sign (verb)

communicate in sign language

"I don't know how to sign, so I could not communicate with my deaf cousin"

bless, sign (verb)

make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate

Sign

A sign is a representation of an object that implies a connection between itself and its object. 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.. 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.

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, or medical symptoms signify a disease. A conventional sign signifies by agreement, as a full stop signifies the end of a sentence; similarly the words and expressions of a language, as well as bodily gestures, can be regarded as signs, expressing particular meanings. The physical objects most commonly referred to as signs (notices, road signs, etc., collectively known as signage) generally inform or instruct using written text, symbols, pictures or a combination of these. The philosophical study of signs and symbols is called semiotics; this includes the study of semiosis, which is the way in which signs (in the semiotic sense) operate.