sign of land
- noun
:
señal de tierra
- In the afternoon light, the captain saw a sign of land, indicating they were close to shore.
Examples
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The sailors were relieved when they finally spotted a sign of land on the horizon.
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There is no sign of land behind them.
Fiction book (1993) -
This is a sure sign of land!
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Fourteen days of being tossed like a pancake and not the slightest sign of land.
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After weeks at sea, the crew rejoiced at the first sign of land appearing in the distance.
Synonyms
A mark or pattern on a lighthouse that helps sailors find a place by day
How Certain
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'sign' (an indication) + 'of' (relational) + 'land' (solid earth) directly yields 'an indication that land is nearby'. This is a literal, productivity-based construction found across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings can readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The phrase sign of land comes from sailors who looked for small clues, like birds flying back to shore, bits of seaweed, or a line of clouds, which showed a sign that land was near. So, it means 'an indication that land is nearby'.