signal

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See also: Signal and signál

English

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Wikipedia
Two-aspect railway signal

Alternative forms

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/
  • (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.
  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.
  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

Terms derived from signal (noun)

Related terms

Translations

See also

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.
    • 2024 February 7, Mel Holley, “Network News: LNER ditches Off-Peak for 70min semi-flexible fare”, in RAIL, number 1002, page 6:
      It is the latest step towards an airline-style advance booking-only system, which rail users have denounced as signalling the end of affordable, immediate travel.
  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

Translations

Adjective

signal (not comparable)

  1. Standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement.
    a signal exploit; a signal success; a signal act of benevolence

Synonyms

Related terms

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale.

Pronunciation

Noun

signal n (singular definite signalet, plural indefinite signaler)

  1. a signal

Declension

References

French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Noun

signal m (plural signaux)

  1. signal
    • 1864, Jules Verne, Voyage au centre de la Terre, sourced from :
      Nous verrons bien. C’est le mot du professeur, qui, après avoir baptisé cet îlot volcanique du nom de son neveu, donne le signal de rembarquement.
      "That is what we shall see." So says the Professor, who, having named this volcanic islet after his nephew, gives the signal to embark again.

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

  • Dutch: signaal, (obsolete) signael
    • Indonesian: sinyal
  • Turkish: sinyal

Further reading

Anagrams

Norwegian Bokmål

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

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Medieval Latin signale.

Noun

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

  1. a signal

Derived terms

References

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French signal.

Noun

signal n (plural signale)

  1. signal

Declension

Serbo-Croatian

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

Swedish

Etymology

Derived from Latin signālis, from signum.

Pronunciation

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

Derived terms

Further reading

Anagrams

Vilamovian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Noun

signal n (plural signale)

  1. signal