Signals

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈsɪɡnəlz/

Definitions

1. Indicators of a current state or event are represented by signs or cues that convey information through various means of communication
2. Messages or cues that facilitate understanding or awareness about specific occurrences can take many forms, such as physical gestures or sounds
3. Observable cues or vibrations that provide insight into situations, events, or responses help to transmit important information effectively

Etymology: "Signals" is the plural of "signal", a noun that has also been used as a verb since 1805. The noun came into English through Old French "segnal" or "seignal" and the Medieval Latin "signāle", which was a noun taken from the neuter of the Late Latin adjective "signālis". That adjective derived from Latin "signum", a mark or sign, so the word is closely related to "sign" itself. In fact the two are doublets: both descend from the same Latin root, arriving in English by different routes, one directly and one through French. The verb is a shortened form of "signalize", which appeared in the 1650s. Its use as a verb dates from 1805, so the word spent roughly two centuries as a noun before people began to act on it.

Synonyms: indications, messages, alerts, notices, cues

Antonyms: silences, obscurities, confusions, ambiguities, miscommunications