DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Sig·ni·fy v. t. [imp. & p. p. Signified p. pr. & vb. n. Signifying ]
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.
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signified
n : 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]
signify
v 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]