signify, v.
(ˈsɪgnɪfaɪ)
Also 3–5 signe- (3, 5 singne-), 4–6 signy-; 4–6 sygni- (5 sygne-, syni-), 5–6 sygny- (5 syngny-); and 4 -fi, 3–5 -fie, 4–6 -fye.
[ad. F. signifier (12th c., = Prov. signifiar, -ficar, Sp. and Pg. significar, It. significare), ad. L. significāre, f. signum sign n.]
1. a. trans. To be a sign or symbol of; to represent, betoken, mean.
| c 1250 Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 27 Þet Gold þet is bricht..signefieth þe gode beleaue þet is bricht ine þe gode cristenemannes herte. a 1340 Hampole Psalter Prol., Þis boke is distyngid in thris fyfty psalmes, in þe whilk thre statis of cristin mannys religion is sygnifyd. 1402 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 56 Foure angels singnefien foure general synnes. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xiii. xiv. 631 The two knyghtes sygnefyen the two dedely synnes. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 65 b, This signifieth my body. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lviii. §2 The secret grace which they [the sacraments] signifie and exhibit. 1611 Beaum. & Fl. Philaster i. i, Then took he up his Garland and did shew, What every flower as Country people hold, Did signifie. 1687 Dryden Hind & P. i. 424 For what is signify'd and understood, Is, by her own confession, flesh and blood. 1729 Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 56 These words are intended to signify certain forms of civility. 1753 Hogarth Anal. Beauty xi, The arrows [of Apollo] may be allowed to signify the sun's rays. 1869 Ruskin Q. of Air §8 It may be easy to prove that the ascent of Apollo in his chariot signifies nothing but the rising of the sun. |
| absol. 1533 Frith Answ. More (1829) 331 Now, if they be signs, then they do signify, and are not the very thing itself. 1652 Gaule Magastrom. 228 Every voyce, therefore, that is significative, first of all signifies by the influence of the cœlestial harmony. |
b. To betoken, foreshow, indicate as something that is to take place. Also
absol.| 13.. K. Alis. 596 (Laud MS.), Þe eye rounde shal signifie Þat he shal habbe seignorye Of þis rounde myddell erd. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 306 A Raven, be whom yit men mai Take evidence, whan he crieth, That som mishapp it signefieth. c 1440 York Myst. xv. 15 Or he be borne in burgh hereby,..A sterne shulde schyne and signifie, With lightfull lemes. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 11, Y wille shewe you what youre auision signifiethe. c 1475 Brut (1908) 603 Þere aperyd in þe ffirmament a gret sterre,..whiche synified gret sorw, & myschef þat fylle aftyrward. 1530 Palsgr. 718/1, I sawe a marvaylouse thyng in the ayre yesterday what so ever it dothe signifye. 1665 Cowley in Johnson L.P. (1868) 8 What this signifies, or may come to in time, God knows; if it be ominous it can end in nothing less than hanging. |
2. Of words, etc.: To have the import or meaning of; to mean, denote.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 22988 Ierom sais..Þat Iosaphat mai signifi Vr lauerd dome. a 1400 Pistill of Susan 287 What signefyes, gode sone, þese sawes þat þou seis? 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) II. 151 For dal in the langage of theyme signifiethe parte. c 1510 More Picus Wks. 18/1 This name Jesus signifieth a sauioure. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. (1637) 204, I have heard likewise, that Caer in the Syriack tongue, signified, a Citie. 1696 Whiston Th. Earth ii. (1722) 173 The very Name of Typhon..signifies a Deluge or Inundation. 1770 J. Clubbe Misc. Tracts II. 141 Which is expressed by a word in the Hebrew, that signifies to initiate. 1837 P. Keith Bot. Lex. 40 The autumn is designated by a term signifying the fall of the leaf. 1876 Tait Rec. Adv. Phys. Sci. (ed. 3) 365 We now employ the term Energy to signify the power of doing work. |
| absol. 1668 H. More Div. Dial. iv. xiii. (1713) 315 You are to understand..that the Kingdom of God in the New Testament signifies variously. 1681 T. Flatman Heraclitus Ridens No. 66 (1713) II. 161 Conscience and Honesty are general Words, and signify, according to the mind of the Speaker. |
3. a. To make known, intimate, announce, declare.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 3233 Me cluped him Vter pendragon..& þat was to singnefie Þat merlin him clupede dragon in is prophecye. 1382 Wyclif Acts xi. 28 Oon of hem..signyfiede bi the spirit a greet hungir to comynge in al the roundnesse of erthis. c 1400 Rom. Rose 7165 Thus myche wole our book signifie, That while Petre hath maistrie May never Johan shewe welle his myght. 1513 Douglas æneid vii. v. 141 The self stranger, quham fatale destane Signifyit to cum furth of ane wncouth stede To be his son in law. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 228 It is reported not onlie in Germany, but also sygnyfyed oute of Italye, and other places. 1604 E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies vi. v. 442 A man of iudgement may aske, how they could signifie their conceptions by figures. 1663 Gerbier Counsel d 5, When no living creature was come from Europe into that part of America to signifie that newes. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones (1775) III. 69 The 'squire and the parson..were smoaking their pipes together, when the arrival of the lady was first signified. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. xix. (1787) II. 132 His first step was to signify a concise and haughty mandate. 1837 Lockhart Scott III. x. 324 In compliance with Scott's wish as signified in the letter last quoted. 1884 Graphic 16 Aug. 162/3 Her Majesty has signified her intention of subscribing 200l. to the Building Fund. |
b. Const.
to (
† unto).
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 127 To signefie to pope and to prelate, How this world is a thurghfare ful of woo. 1490 Caxton Eneydos xvii. 65 He..stroof wyth hymself by what wayes he myghte signyfie it vnto her..for to gyue her lesse sorowe. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 226 b, The Duke of Saxon and the Lantzgrave immediately signifye to themperour by letters the whole matter. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. Ded., To publish these labors of mine vnder your name..to signifie unto the world my thankfull mind. 1605 Camden Rem., Allusions (1623) 140 It was also signified vnto him, they were borne in..Northumberland. 1689 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. I. 300 He thought they were obliged to y⊇ Govr. for signifying these things to them. 1776 Adam Smith W.N. i. ii. (1904) I. 15 Nobody ever saw one animal, by its gestures and natural cries, signify to another, this is mine, that yours. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xviii. IV. 162 A prince who obstinately refused to comply with the general wish of his people signified to him by his Parliament. |
† 4. To compare, liken
to something.
Obs.| 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 284 The quhyte colour..is signyfyit to the vertu of puritee. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xvii. ix. 703 Wel oughte oure lord be sygnefyed to an herte. |
† 5. To hint at.
Obs. rare.
| 1513 More Rich. III (1883) 70 Other thinges, which the said worshipful doctor rather signified then fully explaned. |
† 6. To notify or inform (a person).
Obs.| 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. lxxxvi. 108 Sir Gaultier of Manny sent certayne messangers to the kyng of Englande, signyfieng hym howe [etc.]. 1566 in Marsden Court Adm. (Selden) II. 135 Plezeth your.. Lordshipp to be signifyed that I have receivid your..writ of supersedeas to me dyrectid. 1610 Heywood Gold. Age iii. i, Messengers dispatch'd to signifie My sonne of our distresse. [1690 Locke Hum. Und. ii. xiv. §23 Without some regular periodical Returns, we could not..signify others the Length of any Duration.] |
7. intr. To be of importance or consequence; to have significance; to avail or matter:
a. With
advs., as
much,
little,
nothing, or in questions with
what.
| 1661 Marvell Corr. Wks. (Grosart) II. 58 The House left Liddall to prosecute him at law, but I believe it will not signify much. 1686 tr. Chardin's Trav. Persia 33 But it signify'd little. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1724) II. 38 His speech signified nothing towards the saving of himself. 1757 Foote Author 1, Lord! what signifies carrying such a lumb'ring thing about? 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. iii, ‘It signifies little,’ replied Captain Porteous; ‘your pain will be soon at an end’. 1845 M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 27 Condemned Praetextatus must be, and what did it signify by what semblance of law or justice? 1878 Browning La Saisiaz 30 What signifies repugnance? Truth is truth howe'er it strike. |
b. Without qualifying word.
| 1677 W. Hughes Man of Sin ii. iii. 48 Is he not made to stand by as a Cypher, when she alone must signifie in all these Devotions? 1743 Bulkeley & Cummins Voy. S. Seas 14 The Captain's Answer was, It does not signify. 1762–71 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) III. 113 The anecdotes of Cooper's life are few; nor does it signify; his works are his history. 1817 Lady Granville Lett. (1894) I. 91 His eye is still bloodshot, but nothing to signify. 1894 Baring-Gould Kitty Alone II. 156 There was no metal to signify at the butt-end. 1903 Somerville & ‘Ross’ All on Irish Shore iii. 75 ‘Did many people say it?’ asked Mr Gunning... ‘Oh, no one whose opinion signified!’ retorted Fanny Fitz. 1930 A. P. Herbert Water Gipsies ii. 16 Don't worry, Fred. It don't signify. |
8. intr. U.S. slang (chiefly
Blacks'). To boast or brag; to make insulting remarks or insinuations.
| 1932 Evening Sun (Baltimore) 9 Dec. 31/5 Signify, to pretend to have knowledge of a matter or subject in which one is poorly informed. 1935 Z. N. Hurston Mules & Men i. vii. 161 ‘Aw, woman, quit tryin' to signify.’ ‘Ah kin signify all Ah please, Mr. Nappy-chin.’ 1948 Common Ground Summer 42/2 He was signifying and getting his revenge through songs. 1968 Down Beat 7 Mar. 38/3 One night Billie brought the personal element into focus by ‘signifying’, which in Harlemese means making a series of pointed but oblique remarks apparently addressed to no one in particular, but unmistakable in intention in such a close-knit circle. 1969 C. Mitchell Lang. Behavior in Black Urban Community iii. 96, I wasn't signifying at her, but..if the shoe fits, wear it. 1973 A. Dundes Mother Wit 141/2 A sample of some of the special techniques and forms of extended word play should convince even the most adamant sceptic that no black child who can signify or play the dozens can rightly be called lacking in verbal skills. |
______________________________
▸
intr. Literary Criticism and
Linguistics. To generate or convey meaning; to represent something.
| 1973 Screen Spring–Summer 224 An understanding of how the film is understood, of how it signifies, of its system(s) of intelligibility. 1988 D. Lodge Nice Work iv. ii. 155 But after a while the public got used to the name, the word ‘Silk’ ceased to signify. 1989 Times Lit. Suppl. 7 July 737/1 At times the effort to signify afflicts the verse with hyperaesthesia, and the result is cramped and overwritten. 1994 Representations No. 47. 35 It is this double-sidedness of David's pictorial imagination all through—the effort to signify so often at odds with the passion for embodiment—that is the clue to his work's inimitable pathos. |