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Glite Dictionary
direction sign

direction sign

1.6
A sign by the road that shows drivers where places are
  • noun
  • /dɪˈrɛkʃən saɪn/
translation icon : señal de dirección
  • Many tourists rely on direction signs to navigate unfamiliar roads.

Examples

  • She missed her exit because the direction sign was obscured by tree branches.

  • The direction sign pointed the drivers toward the nearest hospital.

  • The direction sign pointed towards the city center.

  • Can you see the direction sign ahead?

  • The direction sign pointed toward the nearest gas station, making it easy for us to find fuel.

  • We followed the direction sign that indicated the way to the downtown area.

  • Before leaving the city, we stopped to look at the direction sign for directions to the national park.

Synonyms

street sign
vsdirection sign
11 1.0

A sign beside a road that shows its name, directions, or rules

is narrower, used mainly to show destinations for drivers rather than names or rules
guidepost
vsdirection sign
1 2.5

A post with a sign that shows directions on a road or trail

is aimed at drivers and points to destinations rather than only routes

How Informative

road map
4 2.3
direction sign
1.6
signpost
11 1.6
marker
86 1.0

Surface Forms

direction sign singular
direction signs plural

Morphology

direction + sign

The meaning 'a road sign that provides information about locations' is directly and compositionally derived from 'direction' (the heading or way) + 'sign' (a board displaying information). Noun–noun compounds of this type are common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Direction sign began as simple wooden posts with arrows or a pointing hand to show which way to travel. Because the direction on the sign showed people where to go, today a direction sign means a road sign that 'tells drivers where to go'.