signify
part of speech
verb (signify, signifies, signified, signifying)
meaning for a pupil
1) (formal) To be a sign of something; to mean something (dark clouds signify rain). tree →
2) (formal) To show or make known a feeling or wish, often by a sign or action (she nodded to signify yes). tree →
3) (formal) To be important (it does not signify). tree →
sense in the lessons
A formal exam word: «What does the symbol × signify?» means «what does it mean?». In maths, symbols signify operations (+ signifies addition). In science, signs signify changes. Phrases: «signify that», «signify agreement».
examples
- The plus sign signifies addition. tree →
- A red light signifies stop. tree →
- Dark clouds often signify rain. tree →
- She raised her hand to signify that she knew the answer. tree →
- What does this symbol on the map signify? tree →
- The ≥ sign signifies «greater than or equal to». tree →
- [79] The Russian word krof also signifies blood. tree →
note
Formal; everyday: «mean», «show». Noun «significance», adjective «significant» (important). Past «signified» (y changes to i). In maths: always check what each symbol signifies before calculating.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «signify» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.