Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - signal

(signals, signalling, signalled) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. Note: in AM, use 'signaling', 'signaled' 1. A signal is a gesture, sound, or action which is intended to give a particular message to the person who sees or hears it. They fired three distress signals... As soon as it was dark, Mrs Evans gave the signal... You mustn’t fire without my signal. N-COUNT 2. If you signal to someone, you make a gesture or sound in order to send them a particular message. The United manager was to be seen frantically signalling to McClair... He stood up, signalling to the officer that he had finished with his client... She signalled a passing taxi and ordered him to take her to the rue Marengo. VERB: V prep/adv, V that, V n, also V 3. If an event or action is a signal of something, it suggests that this thing exists or is going to happen. Kurdish leaders saw the visit as an important signal of support... = sign N-COUNT: with supp 4. If someone or something signals an event, they suggest that the event is happening or likely to happen. She will be signalling massive changes in energy policy... The outcome of that meeting could signal whether there truly exists a political will to begin negotiating. = indicate VERB: V n, V wh 5. A signal is a piece of equipment beside a railway, which indicates to train drivers whether they should stop the train or not. N-COUNT 6. A signal is a series of radio waves, light waves, or changes in electrical current which may carry information. ...high-frequency radio signals. N-COUNT