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Glite Dictionary
🚦 Train control building 📡 Antenna structure
signal tower

signal tower

3.5
A building where people send signals to control trains
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : torre de señales
  • From the signal tower, operators managed train traffic along the main line.

Examples

  • The old signal tower near the station has been converted into a museum.

  • A new electronic system replaced the function of the original signal tower.

  • The signal tower is essential for train safety.

  • Many signal towers are located along the railway.

  • From the signal tower, operators managed train traffic and ensured timely departures.

  • The old signal tower near the station has been preserved as a historical landmark for visitors.

  • Many signal towers are strategically placed along the railway to control train movements.

Synonyms

signal box
vssignal tower
  • UK
1 6.7

A small building where people control railway signals and switches to direct trains

sends signals mainly and does not control track switches

How Big

signal tower
  • Specialized
3.5
signal box
  • UK
1 6.7

Surface Forms

signal tower singular
signal towers plural

Morphology

signal + tower

The meaning is directly compositional: combining 'signal' (an electronic transmission) with 'tower' (a tall structure) yields a structure that carries signals. This straightforward noun–noun compound follows common compositional patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Signal tower comes from early railways where a small building stood by the tracks and showed drivers with moving arms and lights when to stop or go. Workers inside moved these signals from the high tower, so the name means the place that 'controls the trains'.