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