signal

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĭgʹnəl, IPA ^(key): /ˈsɪɡnəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sig‧nal

Noun

Singular signal

Plural signals

A green signal to tell cars to go

1. A picture, or a light, or a movement of a hand, or other thing that tells people to do something.

   When I make this signal with my hand, everybody walk to the front of the room.

2. A picture, or a light, or a movement of a hand, or something else that lets someone recognize another person, a ship, an airplane or something else.

   The sailor saw the signal on the other ship and so recognized it was the enemy.

Verb

Plain form signal

Third-person singular signals

Past tense signaled

Past participle signaled

Present participle signaling

Plain form signal

Third-person singular signals

Past tense signalled

Past participle signalled

Present participle signalling

1. (transitive) When someone or something signals to someone, they use a signal to tell the person something.

   The red light signals to the cars to stop.