Signified

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Signify \Sig"ni*fy\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Signified}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Signifying}.] [F. signifier, L. significare; signum a
     sign + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See {Sign}, n., 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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              I 'll to the king; and signify to him
              That thus I have resign'd my charge to you. --Shak.
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              The government should signify to the Protestants of
              Ireland that want of silver is not to be remedied.
                                                    --Swift.
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     2. To mean; to import; to denote; to betoken.
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              He bade her tell him what it signified. --Chaucer.
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              A tale
              Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
              Signifying nothing.                   --Shak.
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     Note: Signify is often used impersonally; as, it signifies
           nothing, it does not signify, that is, it is of no
           importance.
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     Syn: To express; manifest; declare; utter; intimate; betoken;
          denote; imply; mean.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  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}]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  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}]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  signified
       See {signify}