SIGN


Meaning of SIGN in English

I.

noun

1 sth that shows that sth exists/may happen

ADJECTIVE

▪ classic , clear , definite , distinct , obvious , real , sure , telltale , unmistakable

He displayed the classic ~s of post-traumatic stress disorder.

the telltale ~s of drug abuse

▪ telling

The lack of interest in the media is a telling ~ of the industry's health.

▪ subtle

I detected the subtle ~s of disapproval.

▪ external , outward , visible

All the outward ~s of growth in the market are there.

▪ tangible

▪ early , first

Strong dislikes of foods are early ~s of pregnancy.

▪ increasing

▪ encouraging , good , healthy , hopeful , positive , promising , welcome

He was silent. It was a good ~.

▪ bad , disturbing , troubling ( esp. AmE )

▪ danger , ominous , warning

The warning ~s were present from the start.

Are appliances you buy safe? We point out the danger ~s.

▪ vital

She checked his vital ~s and found that his pulse was slow.

VERB + SIGN

▪ bear , have

The murder had all the ~s of a crime of passion.

▪ betray , display , exhibit , give , show

His face betrayed no ~ of emotion.

By now the fish was showing ~s of distress.

▪ point to sth

Early ~s point to business improving.

▪ detect , find , notice , see , spot

We detected ~s that they were less than enthusiastic about their honeymoon.

▪ miss

▪ ignore

He ignored the warning ~s of mounting health problems.

▪ interpret (sth as) , read , recognize , see sth as

▪ look for , watch for

Look carefully for ~s of damp.

SIGN + VERB

▪ appear , come

The first ~s of spring appeared.

▪ indicate sth , point to sth

All the ~s pointed to it being more than just a coincidence.

PREPOSITION

▪ at a/the ~

He disappeared at the first ~ of trouble.

▪ ~ from

The people regarded the earthquake as a ~ from God.

▪ ~ of

This move will be seen as a ~ of weakness.

There's no ~ of the snow stopping.

PHRASES

▪ ~ of life

There was no ~ of life in the house (= there seemed to be nobody there) .

▪ a ~ of the times

It's a real ~ of the times: thirty small businesses face financial ruin this month.

▪ a ~ of things to come

I hope this incident isn't a ~ of things to come.

▪ not the least ~ (of sb/sth) , not the slightest ~ (of sb/sth)

He spoke up without the slightest ~ of nervousness.

▪ the ~s and symptoms

Get this test if you have ~s and symptoms of diabetes.

2 board, etc. giving information/a warning

ADJECTIVE

▪ flashing , illuminated ( esp. BrE ), neon

▪ painted

▪ faded

She spotted a faded ~ in the window of a small restaurant.

▪ hand-lettered ( AmE ), handwritten

▪ home-made ( esp. AmE )

▪ cardboard , wooden

▪ exit

▪ pub ( BrE ), shop ( esp. BrE ), store ( esp. AmE ), street

▪ lawn , yard (both AmE )

I put out a lawn ~ in my yard ( = to show political support ).

▪ direction ( esp. BrE ), highway ( esp. AmE ), motorway ( in the UK ), road , traffic

▪ warning

▪ picket ( AmE )

He gets $300 a week from the union for carrying a picket ~.

VERB + SIGN

▪ erect , hang , hang out , hang up , place , post ( esp. AmE ), put up

Someone had put up a ‘For Sale’ ~.

▪ carry , hold up , wave (all esp. AmE )

The demonstrators shouted and waved ~s.

▪ wear ( usually figurative )

He might as well have been wearing a ~ saying ‘I am a tourist’.

▪ see , spot

▪ read

▪ ignore

He yelled at us for ignoring the stop ~.

▪ follow

Just follow the ~s for Bridgend.

SIGN + VERB

▪ read sth

The ~ read ‘No Fishing’.

▪ announce sth , proclaim sth , say sth , state sth , tell sb sth

▪ bear sth

hundreds of ~s bearing the single word ‘Peace’

▪ indicate sth , mark sth

This ~ indicates that photography is allowed.

▪ point

The ~ pointed down a narrow road.

▪ advertise sth

▪ warn

~s warning against trespass

▪ hang

▪ flash

A neon ~ flashed above the door.

PREPOSITION

▪ ~ for , ~ to

Follow the road and you'll see ~s for the turn-off.

3 movement with a particular meaning

ADJECTIVE

▪ rude

▪ peace , thumbs-up , V (usually V-sign)

She made a peace ~ while having her picture taken.

VERB + SIGN

▪ give (sb) , make

She gave me a thumbs-up ~.

▪ communicate through

They had to communicate through ~s and grunts.

SIGN + NOUN

▪ language , system

We used ~ language to talk.

PREPOSITION

▪ ~ for

the ~ for ‘woman’ in sign language

PHRASES

▪ make the ~ of the cross

The priest made the ~ of the cross over the dead body.

4 mark/symbol with a particular meaning

ADJECTIVE

▪ dollar , euro , pound , etc. (In the US, the pound sign refers to ‘\#’. In the UK, it refers to the currency sign ‘£’.)

▪ equals , minus , plus , etc.

▪ peace

a T-shirt with a peace ~ on it

▪ call

Bravo Two Zero was the call ~ of an eight-man SAS team.

a pilot who goes by the call ~ Blaze

VERB + SIGN

▪ draw

He drew a huge dollar ~ on the paper.

▪ use

I used the Chinese ~ for ‘father’ instead of ‘uncle’.

SIGN + VERB

▪ mean sth

What does this ~ mean?

PREPOSITION

▪ ~ for

I can't remember the ~ for ‘square root’.

5 star sign

ADJECTIVE

▪ birth , star

▪ astrological , zodiac

the twelve astrological ~s

Mars rules the zodiac ~ of Aries.

VERB + SIGN

▪ be born under

PREPOSITION

▪ ~ of

people born under the ~ of Gemini

PHRASES

▪ the ~s of the Zodiac

II.

verb

ADVERB

▪ duly

One copy of this letter should be duly ~ed and returned to us.

▪ formally , officially

▪ personally

a first edition of the book, personally ~ed by the author

▪ online

▪ up

You can ~ up online for language classes.

VERB + SIGN

▪ be required to , have to , need to

This is the contract you will be required to ~.

▪ ask sb to , persuade sb to

▪ agree to

▪ refuse to

▪ want to

▪ be willing to

PREPOSITION

▪ for

The courier asked me to ~ for the parcel.

Sign is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ country , ↑ president , ↑ witness

Sign is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ accord , ↑ agreement , ↑ armistice , ↑ artist , ↑ autograph , ↑ bill , ↑ card , ↑ ceasefire , ↑ charter , ↑ cheque , ↑ confession , ↑ consent , ↑ constitution , ↑ contract , ↑ convention , ↑ copy , ↑ deal , ↑ declaration , ↑ decree , ↑ directive , ↑ document , ↑ extension , ↑ form , ↑ initial , ↑ lease , ↑ legislation , ↑ letter , ↑ manifesto , ↑ memo , ↑ memorandum , ↑ minute , ↑ name , ↑ note , ↑ oath , ↑ order , ↑ pact , ↑ paper , ↑ paperwork , ↑ petition , ↑ pitcher , ↑ player , ↑ pledge , ↑ proclamation , ↑ receipt , ↑ register , ↑ slip , ↑ treaty , ↑ truce , ↑ undertaking , ↑ warrant , ↑ will

Oxford Collocations English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь словосочетаний .