signal

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.

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĭgʹnəl, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪɡnəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sig‧nal

Noun

signal (plural signals)

1. A sign made to give notice of some occurrence, command, or danger, or to indicate the start of a concerted action.
   • Milton

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

2. An on-off light, semaphore, or other device used to give an indication to another person.
3. (of a radio, TV, telephone, internet, etc.) An electrical or 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.

4. A token; an indication; a foreshadowing; a sign.
   • Shakespeare

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

   • De Foe

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

5. Useful information, as opposed to noise.
6. (computing, Unix) A simple interprocess communication used to notify a process or thread of an occurrence.

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.

Adjective

signal (not comparable)

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

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

   • Milton

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

Anagrams

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

Noun

signal n (singular definite signalet, plural indefinite signaler)

1. a signal

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

Further reading

• “signal” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• lignas

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale

Noun

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

1. a signal

References

• “signal” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale

Noun

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

1. a signal

References

• “signal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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

References

• “signal” in Hrvatski jezični portal

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

signal c

1. a signal

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