signal definition

English signal definition

Alternative forms

• signall

Etymology

From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle; noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum; verb use from 1805, as a shortened from signalize (1650s).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĭgʹnəl, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪɡnəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪɡnəl
• Hyphenation: sig‧nal

Noun

signal (plural signals)

1. A sequence of states representing an encoded message in a communication channel.
2. Any variation of a quantity or change in an entity over time that conveys information upon detection.
3. A sign made to give notice of some occurrence, command, or danger, or to indicate the start of a concerted action.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     All obeyed / The wonted signal and superior voice / Of this great potentate.

4. An on-off light, semaphore, or other device used to give an indication to another person.
5. (of a radio, TV, telephone, internet, etc.) An electromagnetic action, normally a voltage that is a function of time, that conveys the information of the radio or TV program or of communication with another party.

   My mobile phone can't get a signal in the railway station.

6. An action, change or process done to convey information and thus reduce uncertainty.
7. A token; an indication; a foreshadowing; a sign.
   • c. 1593, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene iii]:

     The weary sun […] / Gives signal of a goodly day to-morrow.

   • 1722, Daniel Defoe, A Journal of the Plague Year

     There was not the least signal of the calamity to be seen.

8. Useful information, as opposed to noise.
9. (computing, Unix) A simple interprocess communication used to notify a process or thread of an occurrence.
10. (biochemistry) A signalling interaction between cells

Antonyms

• (useful information): noise

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• tocsin

Verb

signal (third-person singular simple present signals, present participle (UK) signalling or (US) signaling, simple past and past participle (UK) signalled or (US) signaled)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To indicate; to convey or communicate by a signal.

   I signalled my acquiescence with a nod.

   He whistled to signal that we should stop.

2. (transitive) To communicate with (a person or system) by a signal.

   Seeing the flames, he ran to the control room and signalled headquarters.

Derived terms

• missignal
• oversignal
• undersignal

Translations

Adjective

signal (not comparable)

1. Standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement.

   a signal exploit; a signal service; a signal act of benevolence

   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], OCLC 228732398, page 27:

     As ſignal now in low dejected ſtate, / As earſt in higheſt, behold him where he lies.

   • 1866, Herman Melville, Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War‎^[1], Supplement:

     But, setting this view aside, dishonorable would it be in the South were she willing to abandon to shame the memory of brave men who with signal personal disinterestedness warred in her behalf, though from motives, as we believe, so deplorably astray.

Synonyms

• eminent, noteworthy, significant; see also Thesaurus:important or Thesaurus:notable

Related terms

• signature (adjective)

Anagrams

• Saling, algins, aligns, lasing, liangs, lingas

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Danish signal definition

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale.

Noun

signal n (singular definite signalet, plural indefinite signaler)

1. a signal

References

• “signal” in Den Danske Ordbog

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French signal definition

Etymology

Re-latinization of Old French segnal, from Medieval Latin signale, from Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si.ɲal/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

signal m (plural signaux)

1. signal

Derived terms

• écrevisse signal

Related terms

• signe

Descendants

• → Turkish: sinyal

Further reading

• “signal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• lignas

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Norwegian Bokmål signal definition

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale.

Noun

signal n (definite singular signalet, indefinite plural signal or signaler, definite plural signala or signalene)

1. a signal

Derived terms

References

• “signal” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

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Norwegian Nynorsk signal definition

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale.

Noun

signal n (definite singular signalet, indefinite plural signal, definite plural signala)

1. a signal

Derived terms

References

• “signal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Romanian signal definition

Etymology

From French signal.

Noun

signal n (plural signale)

1. signal

Declension

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Serbo-Croatian signal definition

Etymology

From German Signal, from Medieval Latin signale, from Latin signum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sǐɡnaːl/
• Hyphenation: sig‧nal

Noun

sìgnāl m (Cyrillic spelling сѝгна̄л)

1. signal

Declension

References

• “signal” in Hrvatski jezični portal

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Swedish signal definition

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

signal c

1. a signal

Declension

Declension of signal
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	signal	signalen	signaler	signalerna
Genitive	signals	signalens	signalers	signalernas

Anagrams

• inslag, ligans, singla, slinga

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Vilamovian signal definition

Etymology

From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle, noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

signal n (plural signale)

1. signal