| sign | | |
| n. (communication) | 1. mark, sign | a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened).; "he showed signs of strain"; "they welcomed the signs of spring" |
| ~ clew, clue, cue | evidence that helps to solve a problem. |
| ~ token | something serving as a sign of something else. |
| n. (communication) | 2. sign | a public display of a message.; "he posted signs in all the shop windows" |
| ~ communication | something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups. |
| ~ placard, poster, posting, notice, bill, card | a sign posted in a public place as an advertisement.; "a poster advertised the coming attractions" |
| ~ street sign | a sign visible from the street. |
| ~ signpost, guidepost | a post bearing a sign that gives directions or shows the way. |
| n. (communication) | 3. sign, signal, signaling | any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message.; "signals from the boat suddenly stopped" |
| ~ communication | something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups. |
| ~ recording | a signal that encodes something (e.g., picture or sound) that has been recorded. |
| ~ phone number, telephone number, number | the number is used in calling a particular telephone.; "he has an unlisted number" |
| ~ starting signal, start | a signal to begin (as in a race).; "the starting signal was a green light"; "the runners awaited the start" |
| ~ storm signal | a signal announcing the approach of a storm (particularly a storm of marked violence). |
| ~ beam, radio beam | a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather. |
| ~ ticktack | system of signalling by hand signs used by bookmakers at racetracks. |
| ~ time signal | a signal (especially electronic or by radio) indicating the precisely correct time. |
| ~ dog-ear | a corner of a page turned down to mark your place. |
| ~ animal communication | communication between animals (of the same species). |
| ~ alarum, warning signal, alarm, alert | an automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger. |
| ~ distress call, distress signal | an internationally recognized signal sent out by a ship or plane indicating that help is needed. |
| ~ all clear | a signal (usually a siren) that danger is over. |
| ~ bugle call | a signal broadcast by the sound of a bugle. |
| ~ curfew | a signal (usually a bell) announcing the start of curfew restrictions. |
| ~ retreat | (military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position. |
| ~ drumbeat | (military) the beating of a drum as a signal for lowering the flag at sundown. |
| ~ radiotelegraphic signal, telegraphic signal | a signal transmitted by telegraphy. |
| ~ whistle, whistling | the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle.; "the whistle signalled the end of the game" |
| ~ high sign | a silent signal of warning or recognition.; "she started to speak but he gave her the high sign" |
| ~ symbol | an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance. |
| ~ visual signal | a signal that involves visual communication. |
| ~ indicator | a signal for attracting attention. |
| ~ electronic signal | a signal generated by electronic means. |
| ~ radio beacon | a characteristic signal emitted by a transmitter used for navigation. |
| ~ input, input signal | signal going into an electronic system. |
| ~ output signal, output | signal that comes out of an electronic system. |
| n. (artifact) | 4. sign, signboard | structure displaying a board on which advertisements can be posted.; "the highway was lined with signboards" |
| ~ billboard, hoarding | large outdoor signboard. |
| ~ sandwich board | signboard consisting of two hinged boards that hang front and back from the shoulders of a walker and are used to display advertisements. |
| ~ scoreboard | a large board for displaying the score of a contest (and some other information). |
| ~ shingle | a small signboard outside the office of a lawyer or doctor, e.g.. |
| ~ structure, construction | a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts.; "the structure consisted of a series of arches"; "she wore her hair in an amazing construction of whirls and ribbons" |
| n. (location) | 5. house, mansion, planetary house, sign, sign of the zodiac, star sign | (astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided. |
| ~ astrology, star divination | a pseudoscience claiming divination by the positions of the planets and sun and moon. |
| ~ region, part | the extended spatial location of something.; "the farming regions of France"; "religions in all parts of the world"; "regions of outer space" |
| ~ zodiac | a belt-shaped region in the heavens on either side to the ecliptic; divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes. |
| ~ aries the ram, aries, ram | the first sign of the zodiac which the sun enters at the vernal equinox; the sun is in this sign from about March 21 to April 19. |
| ~ taurus the bull, taurus, bull | the second sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about April 20 to May 20. |
| ~ gemini the twins, twins, gemini | the third sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about May 21 to June 20. |
| ~ cancer the crab, cancer, crab | the fourth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about June 21 to July 22. |
| ~ leo the lion, leo, lion | the fifth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about July 23 to August 22. |
| ~ virgo the virgin, virgin, virgo | the sixth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about August 23 to September 22. |
| ~ libra the balance, libra the scales, libra, balance | the seventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about September 23 to October 22. |
| ~ scorpio the scorpion, scorpion, scorpio | the eighth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about October 23 to November 21. |
| ~ sagittarius the archer, archer, sagittarius | the ninth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about November 22 to December 21. |
| ~ capricorn the goat, capricorn, goat | the tenth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about December 22 to January 19. |
| ~ aquarius the water bearer, water bearer, aquarius | the eleventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about January 20 to February 18. |
| ~ pisces, pisces the fishes, fish | the twelfth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about February 19 to March 20. |
| n. (state) | 6. sign | (medicine) any objective evidence of the presence of a disorder or disease.; "there were no signs of asphyxiation" |
| ~ evidence, grounds | your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief.; "the evidence that smoking causes lung cancer is very compelling" |
| ~ medical specialty, medicine | the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques. |
| ~ disease | an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning. |
| ~ vital sign | sign of life; usually an indicator of a person's general physical condition.; "he was still alive but his vital signs were weak" |
| n. (linkdef) | 7. polarity, sign | having an indicated pole (as the distinction between positive and negative electric charges).; "he got the polarity of the battery reversed"; "charges of opposite sign" |
| ~ oppositeness, opposition | the relation between opposed entities. |
| ~ positiveness, positivity | the character of the positive electric pole. |
| ~ negativeness, negativity | the character of the negative electric pole. |
| n. (event) | 8. augury, foretoken, preindication, sign | an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come.; "he hoped it was an augury"; "it was a sign from God" |
| ~ experience | an event as apprehended.; "a surprising experience"; "that painful experience certainly got our attention" |
| ~ war cloud | an ominous sign that war threatens. |
| ~ omen, portent, prognostic, prognostication, presage, prodigy | a sign of something about to happen.; "he looked for an omen before going into battle" |
| n. (communication) | 9. sign | a gesture that is part of a sign language. |
| ~ sign language, signing | language expressed by visible hand gestures. |
| ~ motion, gesture | the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals. |
| n. (communication) | 10. sign | a fundamental linguistic unit linking a signifier to that which is signified.; "The bond between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary" |
| ~ linguistics | the scientific study of language. |
| ~ language unit, linguistic unit | one of the natural units into which linguistic messages can be analyzed. |
| n. (communication) | 11. sign | a character indicating a relation between quantities.; "don't forget the minus sign" |
| ~ mathematical notation | a notation used by mathematicians. |
| ~ equal sign | a sign indicating that the quantities on either side are equal. |
| ~ plus sign | a sign indicating the operation of addition. |
| ~ minus sign | a sign indicating the operation of subtraction. |
| ~ radical sign | a sign indicating the extraction of a root. |
| v. (communication) | 12. sign, subscribe | mark with one's signature; write one's name (on).; "She signed the letter and sent it off"; "Please sign here" |
| ~ write | communicate or express by writing.; "Please write to me every week" |
| ~ rubricate | sign with a mark instead of a name. |
| v. (social) | 13. ratify, sign | approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation.; "All parties ratified the peace treaty"; "Have you signed your contract yet?" |
| ~ endorse, indorse | sign as evidence of legal transfer.; "endorse cheques" |
| ~ validate, formalise, formalize | declare or make legally valid. |
| v. (communication) | 14. sign | be engaged by a written agreement.; "He signed to play the casino on Dec. 18"; "The soprano signed to sing the new opera" |
| ~ contract, undertake | enter into a contractual arrangement. |
| ~ undersign | sign at the bottom of (a document). |
| ~ ink | append one's signature to.; "They inked the contract" |
| ~ autograph, inscribe | mark with one's signature.; "The author autographed his book" |
| ~ initial | mark with one's initials. |
| ~ countersign | add one's signature to after another's to attest authenticity.; "You must countersign on this line of the contract" |
| ~ execute | sign in the presence of witnesses.; "The President executed the treaty" |
| ~ endorse, indorse | sign as evidence of legal transfer.; "endorse cheques" |
| v. (social) | 15. contract, sign, sign on, sign up | engage by written agreement.; "They signed two new pitchers for the next season" |
| ~ hire, employ, engage | engage or hire for work.; "They hired two new secretaries in the department"; "How many people has she employed?" |
| ~ contract out | assign a job to someone outside one's own business. |
| v. (communication) | 16. sign, signal, signalise, signalize | communicate silently and non-verbally by signals or signs.; "He signed his disapproval with a dismissive hand gesture"; "The diner signaled the waiters to bring the menu" |
| ~ communicate, intercommunicate | transmit thoughts or feelings.; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist" |
| ~ wigwag | signal by or as if by a flag or light waved according to a code. |
| ~ semaphore | send signals by or as if by semaphore. |
| ~ heliograph | signal by means of a mirror and the using the sun's rays. |
| ~ flag | communicate or signal with a flag. |
| ~ whistle | give a signal by whistling.; "She whistled for her maid" |
| v. (contact) | 17. sign | place signs, as along a road.; "sign an intersection"; "This road has been signed" |
| ~ lay, place, put, set, position, pose | put into a certain place or abstract location.; "Put your things here"; "Set the tray down"; "Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children"; "Place emphasis on a certain point" |
| v. (communication) | 18. sign | communicate in sign language.; "I don't know how to sign, so I could not communicate with my deaf cousin" |
| ~ communicate, intercommunicate | transmit thoughts or feelings.; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist" |
| v. (communication) | 19. bless, sign | make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate. |
| ~ gesticulate, gesture, motion | show, express or direct through movement.; "He gestured his desire to leave" |
| adj. | 20. gestural, sign, sign-language, signed | used of the language of the deaf. |
| ~ communicatory, communicative | able or tending to communicate.; "was a communicative person and quickly told all she knew" |
| rule | | |
| n. (cognition) | 1. regulation, rule | a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior.; "it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast"; "short haircuts were the regulation" |
| ~ concept, conception, construct | an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances. |
| ~ limitation, restriction | a principle that limits the extent of something.; "I am willing to accept certain restrictions on my movements" |
| ~ guidepost, rule of thumb, guideline | a rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior. |
| ~ cy pres, cy pres doctrine, rule of cy pres | a rule that when literal compliance is impossible the intention of a donor or testator should be carried out as nearly as possible. |
| ~ working principle, working rule | a rule that is adequate to permit work to be done. |
| n. (cognition) | 2. convention, formula, normal, pattern, rule | something regarded as a normative example.; "the convention of not naming the main character"; "violence is the rule not the exception"; "his formula for impressing visitors" |
| ~ practice | knowledge of how something is usually done.; "it is not the local practice to wear shorts to dinner" |
| ~ mores | (sociology) the conventions that embody the fundamental values of a group. |
| ~ code of behavior, code of conduct | a set of conventional principles and expectations that are considered binding on any person who is a member of a particular group. |
| ~ universal | a behavioral convention or pattern characteristic of all members of a particular culture or of all human beings.; "some form of religion seems to be a human universal" |
| n. (communication) | 3. prescript, rule | prescribed guide for conduct or action. |
| ~ bylaw | a rule adopted by an organization in order to regulate its own affairs and the behavior of its members. |
| ~ rubric | an authoritative rule of conduct or procedure. |
| ~ parliamentary law, parliamentary procedure, rules of order, order | a body of rules followed by an assembly. |
| ~ rule of evidence | (law) a rule of law whereby any alleged matter of fact that is submitted for investigation at a judicial trial is established or disproved. |
| ~ miranda rule | the rule that police (when interrogating you after an arrest) are obliged to warn you that anything you say may be used as evidence and to read you your constitutional rights (the right to a lawyer and the right to remain silent until advised by a lawyer). |
| ~ precept, principle | rule of personal conduct. |
| ~ golden rule | any important rule.; "the golden rule of teaching is to be clear" |
| ~ gigo | (computer science) a rule stating that the quality of the output is a function of the quality of the input; put garbage in and you get garbage out. |
| ~ dictate | an authoritative rule. |
| ~ ordinance, regulation | an authoritative rule. |
| ~ canon | a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy.; "the neoclassical canon"; "canons of polite society" |
| ~ etiquette | rules governing socially acceptable behavior. |
| ~ communications protocol, protocol | (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data. |
| ~ instruction, direction | a message describing how something is to be done.; "he gave directions faster than she could follow them" |
| ~ rule book, book | a collection of rules or prescribed standards on the basis of which decisions are made.; "they run things by the book around here" |
| n. (communication) | 4. linguistic rule, rule | (linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice. |
| ~ concept, conception, construct | an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances. |
| ~ linguistics | the scientific study of language. |
| ~ linguistic universal, universal | (linguistics) a grammatical rule (or other linguistic feature) that is found in all languages. |
| ~ grammatical rule, rule of grammar | a linguistic rule for the syntax of grammatical utterances. |
| ~ morphological rule, rule of morphology | a linguistic rule for the formation of words. |
| n. (cognition) | 5. principle, rule | a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct.; "their principles of composition characterized all their works" |
| ~ generalisation, generality, generalization | an idea or conclusion having general application.; "he spoke in broad generalities" |
| ~ pillar | a fundamental principle or practice.; "science eroded the pillars of superstition" |
| ~ yang | the bright positive masculine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology.; "yin and yang together produce everything that comes into existence" |
| ~ yin | the dark negative feminine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology.; "the interaction of yin and yang maintains the harmony of the universe" |
| ~ feng shui | rules in Chinese philosophy that govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to patterns of yin and yang and the flow of energy (qi); the favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into consideration in designing and siting buildings and graves and furniture. |
| n. (time) | 6. rule | the duration of a monarch's or government's power.; "during the rule of Elizabeth" |
| ~ duration, continuance | the period of time during which something continues. |
| ~ regency | the period from 1811-1820 when the Prince of Wales was regent during George III's periods of insanity. |
| ~ regency | the period of time during which a regent governs. |
| n. (state) | 7. dominion, rule | dominance or power through legal authority.; "France held undisputed dominion over vast areas of Africa"; "the rule of Caesar" |
| ~ ascendance, ascendancy, ascendence, ascendency, dominance, control | the state that exists when one person or group has power over another.; "her apparent dominance of her husband was really her attempt to make him pay attention to her" |
| ~ paramountcy | the state of being paramount; the highest rank or authority. |
| ~ raj | British dominion over India (1757-1947). |
| ~ sovereignty, reign | royal authority; the dominion of a monarch. |
| ~ suzerainty | the position or authority of a suzerain.; "under the suzerainty of..." |
| n. (communication) | 8. rule | directions that define the way a game or sport is to be conducted.; "he knew the rules of chess" |
| ~ instruction, direction | a message describing how something is to be done.; "he gave directions faster than she could follow them" |
| ~ ground rule | (baseball) a special rule (as in baseball) dealing with situations that arise due to the nature of the playing grounds. |
| ~ rule book, book | a collection of rules or prescribed standards on the basis of which decisions are made.; "they run things by the book around here" |
| n. (communication) | 9. rule | any one of a systematic body of regulations defining the way of life of members of a religious order.; "the rule of St. Dominic" |
| ~ instruction, direction | a message describing how something is to be done.; "he gave directions faster than she could follow them" |
| n. (cognition) | 10. principle, rule | a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system.; "the principle of the conservation of mass"; "the principle of jet propulsion"; "the right-hand rule for inductive fields" |
| ~ law of nature, law | a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature.; "the laws of thermodynamics" |
| ~ gestalt law of organization, gestalt principle of organization | a principle of Gestalt psychology that identifies factors leading to particular forms of perceptual organization. |
| ~ le chatelier's law, le chatelier's principle, le chatelier-braun principle, le chatelier principle | the principle that if any change is imposed on a system that is in equilibrium then the system tends to adjust to a new equilibrium counteracting the change. |
| ~ gresham's law | (economics) the principle that when two kinds of money having the same denominational value are in circulation the intrinsically more valuable money will be hoarded and the money of lower intrinsic value will circulate more freely until the intrinsically more valuable money is driven out of circulation; bad money drives out good; credited to Sir Thomas Gresham. |
| ~ mass-energy equivalence | (physics) the principle that a measured quantity of mass is equivalent (according to relativity theory) to a measured quantity of energy. |
| ~ naegele's rule | rule for calculating an expected delivery date; subtract three months from the first day of the last menstrual period and add seven days to that date. |
| ~ law of parsimony, occam's razor, ockham's razor, principle of parsimony | the principle that entities should not be multiplied needlessly; the simplest of two competing theories is to be preferred. |
| ~ principle of equivalence | (physics) the principle that an observer has no way of distinguishing whether his laboratory is in a uniform gravitational field or is in an accelerated frame of reference. |
| ~ principle of liquid displacement | (hydrostatics) the volume of a body immersed in a fluid is equal to the volume of the displaced fluid. |
| ~ huygens' principle of superposition, principle of superposition | the displacement of any point due to the superposition of wave systems is equal to the sum of the displacements of the individual waves at that point.; "the principle of superposition is the basis of the wave theory of light" |
| ~ principle of superposition, superposition principle, superposition | (geology) the principle that in a series of stratified sedimentary rocks the lowest stratum is the oldest. |
| ~ mass-action principle, mass action | (neurology) the principle that the cortex of the brain operates as a coordinated system with large masses of neural tissue involved in all complex functioning. |
| ~ localisation, localisation of function, localisation principle, localization of function, localization principle, localization | (physiology) the principle that specific functions have relatively circumscribed locations in some particular part or organ of the body. |
| n. (cognition) | 11. formula, rule | (mathematics) a standard procedure for solving a class of mathematical problems.; "he determined the upper bound with Descartes' rule of signs"; "he gave us a general formula for attacking polynomials" |
| ~ procedure, process | a particular course of action intended to achieve a result.; "the procedure of obtaining a driver's license"; "it was a process of trial and error" |
| ~ metarule | a rule that describes how other rules should be used (as in AI). |
| ~ algorithm, algorithmic program, algorithmic rule | a precise rule (or set of rules) specifying how to solve some problem. |
| ~ heuristic, heuristic program, heuristic rule | a commonsense rule (or set of rules) intended to increase the probability of solving some problem. |
| ~ recursion | (mathematics) an expression such that each term is generated by repeating a particular mathematical operation. |
| ~ math, mathematics, maths | a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement. |
| n. (artifact) | 12. rule, ruler | measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths. |
| ~ carpenter's rule | a rule used by a carpenter. |
| ~ foot rule | a ruler one foot long. |
| ~ measuring rod, measuring stick, measure | measuring instrument having a sequence of marks at regular intervals; used as a reference in making measurements. |
| ~ meterstick, metrestick | a rule one meter long (usually marked off in centimeters and millimeters). |
| ~ yard measure, yardstick | a ruler or tape that is three feet long. |
| v. (social) | 13. govern, rule | exercise authority over; as of nations.; "Who is governing the country now?" |
| ~ control, command | exercise authoritative control or power over.; "control the budget"; "Command the military forces" |
| ~ throne | sit on the throne as a ruler. |
| ~ misgovern | govern badly. |
| ~ dictate | rule as a dictator. |
| ~ reign | have sovereign power.; "Henry VIII reigned for a long time" |
| v. (cognition) | 14. decree, rule | decide with authority.; "The King decreed that all firstborn males should be killed" |
| ~ decide, make up one's mind, determine | reach, make, or come to a decision about something.; "We finally decided after lengthy deliberations" |
| ~ override, overrule, overthrow, overturn, reverse | rule against.; "The Republicans were overruled when the House voted on the bill" |
| ~ rule in, rule out | include or exclude by determining judicially or in agreement with rules. |
| v. (stative) | 15. dominate, predominate, prevail, reign, rule | be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance.; "Money reigns supreme here"; "Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood" |
| ~ override | prevail over.; "health considerations override financial concerns" |
| ~ overarch | be central or dominant.; "This scene overarches the entire first act" |
| ~ outbalance, overbalance, preponderate, outweigh | weigh more heavily.; "these considerations outweigh our wishes" |
| v. (communication) | 16. find, rule | decide on and make a declaration about.; "find someone guilty" |
| ~ feel, find | come to believe on the basis of emotion, intuitions, or indefinite grounds.; "I feel that he doesn't like me"; "I find him to be obnoxious"; "I found the movie rather entertaining" |
| ~ pronounce, label, judge | pronounce judgment on.; "They labeled him unfit to work here" |
| v. (stative) | 17. rule | have an affinity with; of signs of the zodiac. |
| ~ accompany, attach to, come with, go with | be present or associated with an event or entity.; "French fries come with the hamburger"; "heart attacks are accompanied by distruction of heart tissue"; "fish usually goes with white wine"; "this kind of vein accompanies certain arteries" |
| v. (creation) | 18. rule | mark or draw with a ruler.; "rule the margins" |
| ~ draw | represent by making a drawing of, as with a pencil, chalk, etc. on a surface.; "She drew an elephant"; "Draw me a horse" |
| v. (change) | 19. harness, rein, rule | keep in check.; "rule one's temper" |
| ~ confine, limit, throttle, restrain, trammel, bound, restrict | place limits on (extent or access).; "restrict the use of this parking lot"; "limit the time you can spend with your friends" |
Recent comments
4 weeks 4 days ago
8 weeks 6 days ago
10 weeks 1 day ago
25 weeks 3 days ago
25 weeks 3 days ago
25 weeks 4 days ago
26 weeks 1 day ago
30 weeks 2 days ago
31 weeks 2 days ago
32 weeks 20 hours ago