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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Signify \Sig"ni*fy\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Signified}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Signifying}.] [F. signifier, L. significare; signum a sign + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See {Sign}, noun, and {-fy}.]
1. To show by a sign; to communicate by any conventional token, as words, gestures, signals, or the like; to announce; to make known; to declare; to express; as, a signified his desire to be present.
I 'll to the king; and signify to him That thus I have resign'd my charge to you. --Shak.
The government should signify to the Protestants of Ireland that want of silver is not to be remedied. --Swift.
2. To mean; to import; to denote; to betoken.
He bade her tell him what it signified. --Chaucer.
A tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. --Shak.
Note: Signify is often used impersonally; as, it signifies nothing, it does not signify, that is, it is of no importance.
Syn: To express; manifest; declare; utter; intimate; betoken; denote; imply; mean.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
signified
noun: the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word or expression or situation can be interpreted; "the dictionary gave several senses for the word"; "in the best sense charity is really a duty"; "the signifier is linked to the signified" [syn: {sense}]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
signify
verb
1: denote or connote; "'maison' means 'house' in French"; "An example sentence would show what this word means" [syn: {mean}, {intend}, {stand for}]
2: convey or express a meaning; "These words mean nothing to me!"; "What does his strange behavior signify?"
3: make known with a word or signal; "He signified his wish to pay the bill for our meal" [also: {signified}]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
signified See {signify}
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |