King James Bible Dictionary

A miracle to confirm faith
Matthew 12:38; Matthew 16:4; Matthew 24:3; Matthew 24:30; Mark 8:11-12; Mark 13:4; John 2:11; John 3:2; John 4:48

Asked for by, and given to:

Abraham
Genesis 15:8-17

Moses
Exodus 4:1-9

Gideon
Judges 6:17; Judges 6:36-40

Hezekiah
2 Kings 20:8

Zacharias
Luke 1:18

Given to Jeroboam
1 Kings 13:3-5

A token of coming events
Matthew 16:3-4; Matthew 24:3
Miracles

SIGN, noun [Latin signum; Gr. deicnumt.]

1. A token; something by which another thing is shown or represented; any visible thing, any motion, appearance or event which indicates the existence or approach of something else. Thus we speak of signs of fair weather or of a storm, and of external marks which are signs of a good constitution.

2. A motion, action, nod or gesture indicating a wish or command. They made signs to his father, how he would have him called. Luke 1:62.

3. A wonder; a miracle; a prodigy; a remarkable transaction, event or phenomenon. Through mighty signs and wonders. Romans 15:19. Luke 1:621.

4. Some visible transaction, event or appearance intended as proof or evidence of something else; hence; proof; evidence by sight. Show me a sign that thou talkest with me. Judges 6:17.

5. Something hung or set near a house or over a door, to give notice of the tenant's occupation, or what is made or sold within; as a trader's sign; a tailor; s sign; the sign of the eagle.

6. A memorial or monument; something to preserve the memory of a thing. What time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men, and they became a sign Numbers 16:38.

7. Visible mark or representation; as an outward sign of and inward and spiritual grace.

8. A mark of distinction.

9. Typical representation. The holy symbols or signs are not barely significative.

10. In astronomy, the twelfth part of the ecliptic. The signs are reckoned from the point of intersection of the ecliptic and equator at the vernal equinox, and are named respectively, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorns, Aquarius, Pisces. These names are borrowed from the constellations of the zodiac of the same denomination, which were respectively comprehended within the foregoing equal divisions of the ecliptic of the same name, but are considerably in advance of them. Thus the constellation Aries, is now in that part of the ecliptic called Taurus.

11. In algebra, a character indicating the relation of quantities, or an operation performed by them; as the sign + plus prefixed to a quantity, indicates that the quantity is to be added; the sign - minus, denotes that the quantity to which it is prefixed is to subtracted. The former is prefixed to quantities called affirmative or positive; the latter to quantities called negative.

12. The subscription of one's name; signature; as a sign manual.

13. Among physicians, an appearance or symptom in the human body, which indicate its condition as to health or disease.

14. In music, any character, as a flat, sharp, dot, etc.

SIGN, verb transitive sine.

1. To mark with characters or one's name. To sign a paper, note, deed, etc. is to write one's name at the foot, or underneath the declaration, promise, covenant, grant, etc., by which the person makes it his own act, To sign one's name, is to write or subscribe it on the paper Signing does not now include sealing

2. To signify; to represent typically. [Not in use.]

3. To mark.

SIGN, verb intransitive To be a sign or omen.

Used in war
Isaiah 18:3
Armies; Ensign; Trumpets

SIG'NAL, noun [Latin signum.] A sign that gives or is intended to give notice; or the notice given. Signals are used to communicate notice, information, orders and the like, to persons at a distance, and by any persons and for the purpose. A signal may be a motion of the hand, the raising of a flag, the firing of a gun, or any thing which, being understood by persons at a distance, may communicate notice.

Signals are particularly useful in the navigation of fleets and in naval engagements. There are day-signals, which are usually made by the sails, by flags and pendants, or guns; night-signals, which are lanterns disposed in certain figures, or false fires, rockets, or the firing of guns; fog-signals, which are made by sounds, as firing of guns, beating of drums, ringing of bells, etc. There are signals of evolution, addressed to a whole fleet, to a division or to a squadron; signals of movements to particular ships; and signals of service, general or particular. Signals used in an army are mostly made by a particular beat of the drum, or by the bugle.

SIG'NAL, adjective Eminent; remarkable; memorable; distinguished from what is ordinary; as a signal exploit; a signal service; a signal ace of benevolence. It is generally but not always used in a good sense.

SIGNAL'ITY, noun Quality of being signal or remarkable. [Not in use.]

SIG'NALIZE, verb transitive To make remarkable or eminent; to render distinguished from what is common. The soldier who signalizes himself in battle, merits his country's gratitude. Men may signalize themselves, their valor or their talents.

SIG'NALIZED, participle passive Made eminent

SIG'NALIZING, participle present tense Making remarkable.

SIG'NALLY, adverb Eminently; remarkably; memorably; in a distinguished manner.

SIGNA'TION, noun Sign given; act of betokening. [Not in use.]

SIG'NATORY, adjective Relating to a seal; used in sealing.

SIG'NATURE, noun [Latin signo, to sign.]

1. A sign, stamp or mark impressed. The brain being well furnished with various traces, signatures and images. The natural and indelible signature of God stamped on the human soul.

2. In old medical writers, and external mark or character on a plant, which was supposed to indicate its suitableness to cure particular diseases, or diseases of particular parts. This plants with yellow flowers were supposed to be adapted to the cure of the jaundice, etc. Some plants bear a very evident signature of their nature and use.

3. A mark for proof, or proof from marks.

4. Sign manual; the name of a person written or subscribed by himself.

5. Among printers, a letter or figure at the bottom of the first page of a sheet or half sheet, by which the sheets are distinguished and their order designated, as a direction to the binder. Every successive sheet has a different letter or figure, and if the sheets are more numerous than the letters of the alphabet, the a small letter is added to the capital one; thus Aa, Bb, In large volumes, the signatures are sometimes composed of letters and figures; thus 5A, 5B. But some printer now use figures only for signatures.

6. In physiognomy, an external mark or feature by which some persons pretend to discover the nature and qualities of a thing, particularly the temper and genius of persons.

SIG'NATURE, verb transitive To mark; to distinguish. [Not in use.]

SIG'NATURIST, noun One who holds to the doctrine of signatures impressed upon objects, indicative of character or qualities. [Little used.]

SIGNER, noun One that signs or subscribes his name; as a memorial with a hundred signers.

A seal used to attest documents (Daniel 6:8-10, 12). In 6:17, this word properly denotes a ring. The impression of a signet ring on fine clay has recently been discovered among the ruins at Nineveh. It bears the name and title of an Egyptian king. Two actual signet rings of ancient Egyptian monarchs (Cheops and Horus) have also been discovered.

When digging a shaft close to the south wall of the temple area, the engineers of the Palestine Exploration Fund, at a depth of 12 feet below the surface, came upon a pavement of polished stones, formerly one of the streets of the city. Under this pavement they found a stratum of 16 feet of concrete, and among this concrete, 10 feet down, they found a signet stone bearing the inscription, in Old Hebrew characters, "Haggai, son of Shebaniah." It has been asked, Might not this be the actual seal of Haggai the prophet? We know that he was in Jerusalem after the Captivity; and it is somewhat singular that he alone of all the minor prophets makes mention of a signet (Haggai 2:23). (See SEAL.)

SIG'NET, noun A seal; particularly in Great Britain, the seal used by the king in sealing his private letters, and grants that pass by bill under his majesty's hand.

SIGNIF'ICANCE, SIGNIF'ICANCY, noun [Latin significans. See Signify.]

SIGNIF'ICANCE, SIGNIF'ICANCY, noun [Latin significans. See Signify.]

1. Meaning; import; that which is intended to be expressed; as the significance of a nod, or of a motion of the hand, or of a word or expression.

2. Force; energy; power of impressing the mind; as a duty enjoined with particular significance.

3. Importance; moment; weight; consequence. Many a circumstance of less SIGNIFICANCY has been construed into an event act of high treason.

SIGNIF'ICANT, adjective [Latin signigicans.]

1. Expressive of something beyond the external mark.

2. Bearing a meaning; expressing or containing signification of sense; as a significant word or sound; a significant look.

3. Betokening something; standing as a sign of something. It was well said of Plotinus, that the stars were significant but not efficient.

4. Expressive or representative of some fact or event, The passover among the Jews was significant of the escape of the Israelites from the destruction which fell on the Egyptians. The bread and wine in the sacrament are significant of the body and blood of Christ.

5. Important; momentous. [Not in use.]

SIGNIF'ICANTLY, adverb

1. With meaning.

2. With force of expression.

SIGNIFICA'TION, noun [Latin significatio. See Signify.]

1. The act of making known, or of communicating ideas to another by signs or by words, by any thing that is understood, particularly by words. All speaking, or signification of one's mind, implies an act or address of one man to another.

2. Meaning; that which is understood to be intended by a sign, character, mark or word; that idea or sense of a sign, mar, word or expression which the person using it intends to convey, or that which men in general who use it, understand it to convey. The signification of words was originally arbitrary, and is dependent on usage. But when custom has annexed a certain sense to a letter or sound, or to a combination of letters or sounds, this sense is always to be considered the signification which the person using the word intends to communicate. So by custom, certain signs or gestures have a determinate signification Such is the fact also with figures, algebraic character, etc.

SIGNIF'ICATIVE, adjective

1. Betokening or representing by an external sign; as the significative symbols of the eucharist.

2. Having signification or meaning; expressive of a certain idea or thing. Neither in the degrees of kindred were they destitute of significative words.

SIGNIF'ICATIVELY, adverb So as represent or express by an external sign.

SIGNIFICA'TOR, noun That which signifies.

SIGNIF'ICATORY, noun That which betokens, signifies or represents.

SIG'NIFY, verb transitive [Latin significo; signum, a sign, and facio, to make.]

1. To make known something, either by signs or words; to express or communicate to another any idea, thought, wish, a hod, wink, gesture, signal or other sign. A man signifies his mind by his voice or by written characters; he may signify his mind by a nod or other motion, provided the person to whom he directs it, understands what is intend by it. A general or an admiral signifies his commands by signals to officers as a distance.

2. To mean; to have or contain a certain sense. The word sabbath signifies rest. Less, in composition, as in faithless, signifies destitution or want. The prefix re, in recommend, seldom signifies any thing.

3. To import; to weigh; to have consequence; used in particular phrases; as, it signifies much or little; it signifies nothing. What does it signify? What signify the splendors of a court? Confession of sin without reformation of life, can signify nothing in the view of God.

4. To make known; to declare. The government should signify to the protestants of Ireland that want of silver is not to be remedied.

SIG'NIFY, verb intransitive To express meaning with force. [Little used.]

SIGNIOR, noun A title of respect among the Italians. [See seignor.]

SIGNORIZE, verb intransitive To exercise dominion; or to have dominion. [Little used.]

SIGNORY, noun A different, but less common spelling of seigniory, which see. It signifies lordship, dominion, and in Shakespeare, seniority.

SIGN-POST, noun A post on which a sign hangs, or on which papers are placed to give public notice of any thing. By the laws of some of the New England states, a sign-post is to be erected near the center of each town.