[syn: bespeak, betoken, indicate, point, signal]
ADJECTIVE (1)
1. notably out of the ordinary;
- Example: "the year saw one signal triumph for the Labour party"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Signal \Sig"nal\, n. [F., fr. LL. signale, fr. L. signum. See
Sign, n.]
1. A sign made for the purpose of giving notice to a person
of some occurence, command, or danger; also, a sign,
event, or watchword, which has been agreed upon as the
occasion of concerted action.
[1913 Webster]
All obeyed
The wonted signal and superior voice
Of this great potentate. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. A token; an indication; a foreshadowing; a sign; anything
taken as evidence of some process.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
The weary sun . . .
Gives signal of a goodly day to-morrow. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
There was not the least signal of the calamity to be
seen. --De Foc.
[1913 Webster]
3. Hence: (Electronics) A measureable electrical quantity,
such as voltage or current, that conveys information by
varying in magnitude over time; as, the signals from the
strongest commercial radio stations can be received over
hundreds of miles.
[PJC] Signal to noise ratio
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Signal \Sig"nal\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Signaled or Signalled;
p. pr. & vb. n. Signaling or Signalling.]
1. To communicate by signals; as, to signal orders.
[1913 Webster]
2. To notify by a signals; to make a signal or signals to;
as, to signal a fleet to anchor. --M. Arnold.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Signal \Sig"nal\, a. [From signal, n.: cf. F. signal['e].]
1. Noticeable; distinguished from what is ordinary; eminent;
remarkable; memorable; as, a signal exploit; a signal
service; a signal act of benevolence.
[1913 Webster]
As signal now in low, dejected state
As erst in highest, behold him where he lies.
--Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. Of or pertaining to signals, or the use of signals in
conveying information; as, a signal flag or officer.
[1913 Webster]
The signal service, a bureau of the government (in the
United States connected with the War Department) organized
to collect from the whole country simultaneous raports of
local meteorological conditions, upon comparison of which
at the central office, predictions concerning the weather
are telegraphed to various sections, where they are made
known by signals publicly displayed.
Signal station, the place where a signal is displayed;
specifically, an observation office of the signal service.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Eminent; remarkable; memorable; extraordinary; notable;
conspicuous.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
signal
adj 1: notably out of the ordinary; "the year saw one signal
triumph for the Labour party"
n 1: any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message;
"signals from the boat suddenly stopped" [syn: signal,
signaling, sign]
2: any incitement to action; "he awaited the signal to start";
"the victory was a signal for wild celebration"
3: an electric quantity (voltage or current or field strength)
whose modulation represents coded information about the
source from which it comes
v 1: 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" [syn:
sign, signal, signalize, signalise]
2: be a signal for or a symptom of; "These symptoms indicate a
serious illness"; "Her behavior points to a severe neurosis";
"The economic indicators signal that the euro is undervalued"
[syn: bespeak, betoken, indicate, point, signal]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
358 Moby Thesaurus words for "signal":
ALGOL, COBOL, CRT spot, DM display, Doppler signal, EDP, FORTRAN,
IF signal, IM display, RF echoes, Roman candle, Teletype,
Wirephoto, aid to navigation, alarm, alert, alphabetic data,
alphanumeric code, amber light, angular data, announce, arresting,
assembler, astonishing, badge, balefire, banner, beacon,
beacon fire, beam, beat signal, beat the drum, beckon, bell,
bell buoy, binary digit, binary scale, binary system, bit, blink,
blinker, blips, blue peter, bounces, broad hint, broadcast, bug,
buoy, byte, caution light, celebrated, channel, character,
characteristic, clue, command pulses, commands, communicate,
communication, communication explosion, communication theory,
communicational, communications, compiler, computer code,
computer language, computer program, consequential, conspicuous,
control signals, controlled quantity, convey, correcting signals,
cue, data, data retrieval, data storage, decoding, device,
differentia, dip, dip the ensign, display, disseminate,
distinctive, distinguished, double-dot display, dress ship,
earmark, echo, echo signal, egregious, electronic data processing,
eminent, encoding, entropy, error, error signals, esteemed,
estimable, exceptional, exchange colors, extraordinary, fabulous,
facsimile, famous, fantastic, feedback pulses, feedback signals,
film data, flag, flag down, flare, flash, fog bell, fog signal,
fog whistle, foghorn, formidable, gentle hint, gesticulate,
gesture, get across, get over, give, give a signal, give the nod,
give word, glance, glimmer, glimmering, go light, goad, gong buoy,
green light, hail, hail and speak, half-mast, hallmark, hand on,
heliograph, hexadecimal system, high sign, hint, hoist a banner,
idiosyncrasy, illustrious, image, impart, impetus, implication,
important, incitement, incredible, index, indicant, indicate,
indication, indicator, individual, information,
information explosion, information theory, inkling, innuendo,
input data, input quantity, insignia, insinuation, instructions,
international alphabet flag, international numeral pennant,
intimation, keynote, kick, leave word, leer,
local oscillator signal, look, machine language, magnetotelephonic,
make a sign, make a signal, make known, mark, marked,
marker beacon, marvelous, measure, memorable, message,
microtelephonic, momentous, monotelephonic, motion, movement,
multiple messages, noble, nod, noise, notable, note, noteworthy,
noticeable, notify, nudge, numeric data, octal system, of mark,
oscillograph data, output data, output quantity, output signal,
outstanding, parachute flare, pass, pass along, pass on, peculiar,
peculiarity, phototelegraphic, picture, pilot flag, pips, play,
poke, polar data, police whistle, prestigious, prick, prominent,
prompt, property, punch-card data, quarantine flag, radar signal,
radio, radio beacon, radiotelegraphic, raise a cry, random data,
rare, reading, rectangular data, red flag, red light, redundancy,
reference quantity, reflection, remarkable, rememberable, render,
renowned, report, representation, representative, reputable,
return, return signal, rocket, ruly English, sailing aid, salient,
salute, scent, seal, semaphore, semaphore flag,
semaphore telegraph, send, send word, share, share with, sigil,
sign, signal beacon, signal bell, signal display, signal fire,
signal flag, signal gong, signal gun, signal lamp, signal light,
signal mast, signal post, signal rocket, signal shot, signal siren,
signal tower, signalize, signals, signature, significant,
significative, single messages, singular, sound an alarm,
sound the trumpet, spar buoy, speak, special, spoor, spot, spur,
stamp, stimulus, stop light, striking, suggestion, superior,
sure sign, suspicion, symptom, target image, telecommunicational,
telegraphic, telephonic, telephotographic, tell, telling, telltale,
telltale sign, the nod, the wink, thermotelephonic, tocsin, touch,
trace, track, traffic light, traffic signal, trait, transfer,
transmit, transmitter signal, uncommon, unforgettable,
unfurl a flag, unique, unorganized data, unusual, video signal,
visible-speech data, watch fire, wave, wave a flag, wave the hand,
weighty, whisper, whistle, white flag, wigwag, wigwag flag, wink,
wireless, wonderful, yellow flag
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):
SIGNAL
A synchronous language by Le Guernic et al of
INRIA.
["SIGNAL - A Data Flow-Oriented Language for Signal
Processing," P. le Guernic, IEEE Trans Acoustics Speech &
Signal Proc, ASSP-34(2):362-1986-04-374].
(1996-12-10)
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):
signal
A predefined message sent between two
Unix processes or from the kernel to a process. Signals
communicate the occurrence of unexpected external events such
as the forced termination of a process by the user. Each
signal has a unique number associated with it and each process
has a signal handler set for each signal. Signals can be sent
using the kill system call.
(1996-12-10)