sign
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: sīn
ipa: /saɪn/
homophone: sine
homophone: syne
rhymes: -aɪn
Forms: form: signs
form: signing
form: signed
form: signed
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: sign
form: sign
form: signed
form: sign
form: signest
form: signed
form: signedst
form: signs
form: signeth
form: signed
form: sign
form: signed
form: sign
form: signed
form: sign
form: -
form: signing
form: signed
Etymology: 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.
Senses: examples: text: The Queen signed her letter with the regal signet.
glosses: To make a mark
To seal (a document etc.) with an identifying seal or symbol.
examples: text: Meantime revolving in his thoughtful mind / The scar, with which his manly knee was sign'd […].
ref: 1726, Elijah Fenton, The Odyssey of Homer:
glosses: To make a mark
To mark, to put or leave a mark on.
examples: text: Enquire the Iewes house out, giue him this deed, / And let him signe it […].
ref: c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
glosses: To make a mark
To validate or ratify (a document) by writing one's signature on it.
examples: text: I forgot to sign that letter to my aunt.
glosses: To make a mark
More generally, to write one's signature on (something) as a means of identification etc.
examples: text: Just sign your name at the bottom there.
text: I received a letter from some woman who signs herself ‘Mrs Trellis’.
glosses: To make a mark
To write (one's name) as a signature.
examples: text: Please sign on the dotted line.
glosses: To make a mark
To write one's signature.
examples: text: Agents say Wales back Gavin Henson has signed for Cardiff Blues.
ref: 2011, The Guardian, (headline), 18 Oct 2011
glosses: To make a mark
To finalise a contractual agreement to work for a given sports team, record label etc.
examples: It was a great month. I managed to sign three major players.
glosses: To make a mark
To engage (a sports player, musician etc.) in a contract.
examples: text: We receive this child into the congregation of Christ's flock, and do sign him with the sign of the cross.
ref: 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC:
text: At the baptismal ceremony the child was […] signed with the cross in holy water.
ref: 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 34:
glosses: To make the sign of the cross
To bless (someone or something) with the sign of the cross; to mark with the sign of the cross.
examples: text: Shaking a fist at him with one fierce arm, / Signing himself with the other because of Christ.
ref: 1855, Robert Browning, Men and Women:
glosses: To make the sign of the cross
To cross oneself.
examples: text: I signed to Brown to make his retreat.
ref: 1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC:
glosses: To indicate
To communicate using a gesture or signal.
examples: text: Pierre signed his acquiescence, and Isabel proceeded:
ref: 1852, Herman Melville, Pierre; or The Ambiguities:
glosses: To indicate
To communicate or make known (a meaning, intention, etc.) by a sign.
examples: text: He signed me that I should follow him through the doorway.
glosses: To indicate
To communicate using gestures to (someone).
glosses: To indicate
To use sign language.
glosses: To indicate
To furnish (a road etc.) with signs.
glosses: To determine the sign of
glosses: To determine the sign of
To calculate or derive whether a quantity has a positive or negative sign.
Derived terms: cosign
e-sign
re-sign
sign away
sign in
signing bonus
sign into
sign into law
sign off
sign on
sign one's death warrant
sign one's life away
sign one's own death warrant
sign on the dotted line
sign onto
sign out
sign over
sign up
Related terms: signal
signature
signet
signify