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In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.
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1828 Noah Webster Dictionary
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1828.mshaffer.comWord [signify]

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signify

SIG'NIFY, v. t. [L. 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.



Evolution (or devolution) of this word [signify]

1828 Webster1844 Webster1913 Webster

SIG'NIFY, v. t. [L. 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'NI-FY, v.i.

To express meaning with force. [Little used.]


SIG'NI-FY, v.t. [Fr. signifier; L. 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, purpose or command, either by words, by a nod, 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 intended by it. A general or an admiral signifies his commands by signals to officers at 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. – Swift.

Sig"ni*fy
  1. To show by a sign; to communicate by any conventional token, as words, gestures, signals, or the like; to announce; to make known; to declare; to express; as, a signified his desire to be present.

    I 'll to the king; and signify to him
    That thus I have resign'd my charge to you.
    Shak.

    The government should signify to the Protestants of Ireland that want of silver is not to be remedied. Swift.

  2. To mean; to import; to denote; to betoken.

    He bade her tell him what it signified. Chaucer.

    A tale
    Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
    Signifying nothing.
    Shak.

    * Signify is often used impersonally; as, it signifies nothing, it does not signify, that is, it is of no importance.

    Syn. -- To express; manifest; declare; utter; intimate; betoken; denote; imply; mean.

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Signify

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.]

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— Tom (Bloomington, IN)

Word of the Day

importance

IMPORT'ANCE, n.

1. Weight; consequence; a bearing on some interest; that quality of any thing by which it may affect a measure, interest or result. The education of youth is of great importance to a free government. A religious education is of infinite importance to every human being.

2. Weight or consequence in the scale of being.

Thy own importance know.

Nor bound thy narrow views to things below.

3. Weight or consequence in self-estimation.

He believes himself a man of importance.

4. Thing implied; matter; subject; importunity. [In these senses, obsolete.]

Random Word

tar-water

T`AR-WATER, n. [tar and water.] A cold infusion of tar, used as a medicine.

Noah's 1828 Dictionary

First dictionary of the American Language!

Noah Webster, the Father of American Christian education, wrote the first American dictionary and established a system of rules to govern spelling, grammar, and reading. This master linguist understood the power of words, their definitions, and the need for precise word usage in communication to maintain independence. Webster used the Bible as the foundation for his definitions.

This standard reference tool will greatly assist students of all ages in their studies.

No other dictionary compares with the Webster's 1828 dictionary. The English language has changed again and again and in many instances has become corrupt. The American Dictionary of the English Language is based upon God's written word, for Noah Webster used the Bible as the foundation for his definitions. This standard reference tool will greatly assist students of all ages in their studies. From American History to literature, from science to the Word of God, this dictionary is a necessity. For homeschoolers as well as avid Bible students it is easy, fast, and sophisticated.


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1828 Noah Webster Dictionary

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