to sign
- verb
- /saɪn/
- For instance, one hearing parent said, "We try to sign and use ASL with our daughter around us."
- sign language
- sign in ASL
- sign in English
That's how you you can sign to me if you want to, but I'm good.
- That's how you you can sign to me if you want to, but I'm good.
Examples
-
His eyes rest easily on her hands, and he signs back swiftly, accompanying his motions with his voice.
Fiction book (2001) -
For example, "father," is signed up here like this.
-
We sign at the top of the painting, while they sign at the bottom.
Academic text (2013) -
Sign back, "What do you mean, no?"
-
With an exhausted smile, he signs to Aloka and Amrita to get in.
Fiction book (1992) -
At the meeting, they communicated using gestures to sign their agreement with the proposal.
-
She learned to sign basic phrases in American Sign Language to help her friend who is deaf.
-
When he wants to convey his thoughts without speaking, he uses his hands to sign effectively.
Synonyms
To give information to someone using a gesture or sign
To be a sign of something, often by a word, action or symbol
To show an action using gestures and no words
Send information using signals or movements like nods and waves
Use hand shapes to show each letter of a word in sign language
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
Agree to join an organization or start working for a company, usually by signing a contract
- Formal
Officially agree to a written deal between countries by putting your name on it
- Specialized
Enter your user name and password to access a computer or online service
Compounds
- Specialized
Measurements like heart rate or blood pressure that show how well the body is working
A language using hand signs and face movements to communicate, often used by people who are deaf
A language of hand signs and body movements used by deaf people in the United States and parts of Canada
One of twelve parts of the sky used in astrology to show personality and give horoscopes
A gesture made by holding up the index and middle fingers in a V shape to show victory or peace
- Specialized
A big toe moving upward when the sole is stroked, normal in babies but showing nerve damage in adults
- Archaic
A purplish colour of the lining of the vagina that appears in early pregnancy
- Specialized
A sign when the knee cannot fully straighten with the thigh bent, showing a possible brain infection
- Specialized
Blue colour of fingers and toes when tiny blood vessels tighten from cold or stress
- UK
The written name of a king or queen on an official document showing personal approval
- Specialized
A Cyrillic letter that makes the consonant before it sound with the tongue near the roof of the mouth
How Clearly
Surface Forms
Etymology
The verb sign (to use gestures or sign language) comes from the Latin signum, meaning 'mark'. To sign is to make visible marks or movements to communicate, so the origin matches the idea of using gestures as messages.