Firm vs. Sign

Firmnoun

A business partnership; the name under which it trades.

Signnoun

A visible indication.

‘Their angry expressions were a clear sign they didn't want to talk.’; ‘Those clouds show signs of raining soon.’; ‘Those clouds show little sign of raining soon.’; ‘Signs of disease are objective, whereas symptoms are subjective.’; ‘The sharp sign indicates that the pitch of the note is raised a half step.’; ‘I gave them a thumbs-up sign.’;

Firmnoun

A business enterprise, however organized.

Signnoun

Physical evidence left by an animal.

‘The hunters found deer sign at the end of the trail.’;

Firmnoun

(slang) A criminal gang, especially based around football hooliganism.

Signnoun

A clearly visible object, generally flat, bearing a short message in words or pictures.

‘The sign in the window advertised a room for rent.’; ‘I missed the sign at the corner so I took the wrong turn.’;

Firmadjective

steadfast, secure, hard (in position)

‘It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.’;

Signnoun

A wonder; miracle; prodigy.

Firmadjective

fixed (in opinion)

‘a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent’;

Signnoun

(astrology) An astrological sign.

‘Your sign is Taurus? That's no surprise.’;

Firmadjective

solid, rigid (material state)

‘firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood; firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)’;

Signnoun

(mathematics) Positive or negative polarity. (Note: it is improper to place a sign on the number zero)

‘I got the magnitude right, but the sign was wrong.’;

Firmverb

(transitive) To make firm or strong; fix securely.

Signnoun

A specific gesture or motion used to communicate by those with speaking or hearing difficulties; now specifically, a linguistic unit in sign language equivalent to word in spoken languages.

Firmverb

(transitive) To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.

Signnoun

(uncountable) Sign language in general.

‘Sorry, I don't know sign very well.’;

Firmverb

(intransitive) To become firm; stabilise.

Signnoun

An omen.

‘"It's a sign of the end of the world," the doom prophet said.’;

Firmverb

(intransitive) To improve after decline.

Signnoun

(medicine) A property of the body that indicates a disease and, unlike a symptom, is unlikely to be noticed by the patient.

Firmverb

To shorten (of betting odds).

Signnoun

A military emblem carried on a banner or standard.

Firmverb

To select (a higher education institution) as one's preferred choice, so as to enrol automatically if one's grades match the conditional offer.

Signverb

To make a mark

Firmadjective

Fixed; hence, closely compressed; compact; substantial; hard; solid; - applied to the matter of bodies; as, firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood.

Signverb

To seal (a document etc.) with an identifying seal or symbol.

‘The Queen signed her letter with the regal signet.’;

Firmadjective

Not easily excited or disturbed; unchanging in purpose; fixed; steady; constant; stable; unshaken; not easily changed in feelings or will; strong; as, a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent.

‘Under spread ensigns, moving nigh, in slowBut firm battalion.’; ‘By one man's firm obediency fully tried.’;

Signverb

(transitive) To mark, to put or leave a mark on.

Firmadjective

Solid; - opposed to fluid; as, firm land.

Signverb

(transitive) To validate or ratify (a document) by writing one's signature on it.

Firmadjective

Indicating firmness; as, a firm tread; a firm countenance.

Signverb

(transitive) More generally, to write one's signature on (something) as a means of identification etc.

‘I forgot to sign that letter to my aunt.’;

Firmnoun

The name, title, or style, under which a company transacts business; a partnership of two or more persons; a commercial house; as, the firm of Hope & Co.

Signverb

To write (one's name) as a signature.

‘Just sign your name at the bottom there.’; ‘I received a letter from some woman who signs herself ‘Mrs Trellis’.’;

Firmverb

To fix; to settle; to confirm; to establish.

‘And Jove has firmed it with an awful nod.’;

Signverb

(intransitive) To write one's signature.

‘Please sign on the dotted line.’;

Firmverb

To fix or direct with firmness.

‘He on his card and compass firms his eye.’;

Signverb

(intransitive) To finalise a contractual agreement to work for a given sports team, record label etc.

Firmnoun

members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments;

‘he worked for a brokerage house’;

Signverb

(transitive) To engage (a sports player, musician etc.) in a contract.

‘It was a great month. I managed to sign three major players.’;

Firmverb

become taut or tauter;

‘Yur muscles will firm when you exercise regularly’; ‘the rope tautened’;

Signverb

To make the sign of the cross

Firmverb

make taut or tauter;

‘tauten a rope’;

Signverb

(transitive) To bless (someone or something) with the sign of the cross; to mark with the sign of the cross.

Firmadjective

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable;

‘firm convictions’; ‘a firm mouth’; ‘steadfast resolve’; ‘a man of unbendable perseverence’; ‘unwavering loyalty’;

Signverb

(reflexive) To cross oneself.

Firmadjective

not soft or yielding to pressure;

‘a firm mattress’; ‘the snow was firm underfoot’; ‘solid ground’;

Signverb

To indicate

Firmadjective

strong and sure;

‘a firm grasp’; ‘gave a strong pull on the rope’;

Signverb

(intransitive) To communicate using a gesture or signal.

Firmadjective

not subject to revision or change;

‘a firm contract’; ‘a firm offer’;

Signverb

(transitive) To communicate using gestures to (someone).

‘He signed me that I should follow him through the doorway.’;

Firmadjective

(of especially a person's physical features) not shaking or trembling;

‘his voice was firm and confident’; ‘a firm step’;

Signverb

(intransitive) To use sign language.

Firmadjective

not liable to fluctuate or especially to fall;

‘stocks are still firm’;

Signverb

(transitive) To furnish (a road etc.) with signs.

Firmadjective

securely established;

‘an established reputation’; ‘holds a firm position as the country's leading poet’;

Signnoun

That by which anything is made known or represented; that which furnishes evidence; a mark; a token; an indication; a proof.

‘Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.’; ‘It shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.’;

Firmadjective

marked by the tone and resiliency of healthy tissue;

‘firm muscles’;

Signnoun

Something serving to indicate the existence, or preserve the memory, of a thing; a token; a memorial; a monument.

‘What time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men, and they became a sign.’;

Firmadjective

pleasingly firm and fresh and making a crunching noise when chewed;

‘crisp carrot and celery sticks’; ‘a firm apple’; ‘crunchy lettuce’;

Signnoun

Any symbol or emblem which prefigures, typifles, or represents, an idea; a type; hence, sometimes, a picture.

‘The holy symbols, or signs, are not barely significative; but what they represent is as certainly delivered to us as the symbols themselves.’; ‘Saint George of Merry England, the sign of victory.’;

Firmadjective

securely fixed in place;

‘the post was still firm after being hit by the car’;

Signnoun

A word or a character regarded as the outward manifestation of thought; as, words are the sign of ideas.

‘They made signs to his father, how he would have him called.’;

Firmadjective

unwavering in devotion to friend or vow or cause;

‘a firm ally’; ‘loyal supporters’; ‘the true-hearted soldier...of Tippecanoe’; ‘fast friends’;

Signnoun

Hence, one of the gestures of pantomime, or of a language of a signs such as those used by the North American Indians, or those used by the deaf and dumb.

Firmadverb

with resolute determination;

‘we firmly believed it’; ‘you must stand firm’;

Signnoun

A military emblem carried on a banner or a standard.

‘The shops were, therefore, distinguished by painted signs, which gave a gay and grotesque aspect to the streets.’;

Firmadjective

having a solid, almost unyielding surface or structure

‘the bed should be reasonably firm, but not too hard’;

Signnoun

The twelfth part of the ecliptic or zodiac.

Firmadjective

solidly in place and stable

‘he was unable to establish the shop on a firm financial footing’; ‘no building can stand without firm foundations’;

Signnoun

A character indicating the relation of quantities, or an operation performed upon them; as, the sign + (plus); the sign - (minus); the sign of division ÷, and the like.

Firmadjective

having steady but not excessive power or strength

‘you need a firm grip on the steering’;

Signnoun

Any character, as a flat, sharp, dot, etc.

‘An outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.’;

Firmadjective

showing resolute determination and strength of character

‘parents should be firm with children and not give in to their demands’;

Signverb

To represent by a sign; to make known in a typical or emblematic manner, in distinction from speech; to signify.

‘I signed to Browne to make his retreat.’;

Firmadjective

strongly felt and unlikely to change

‘he retains a firm belief in the efficacy of prayer’;

Signverb

To make a sign upon; to mark with a sign.

‘We receive this child into the congregation of Christ's flock, and do sign him with the sign of the cross.’;

Firmadjective

steadfast and constant

‘we became firm friends’;

Signverb

To affix a signature to; to ratify by hand or seal; to subscribe in one's own handwriting.

‘Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed,And let him sign it.’;

Firmadjective

decided upon and fixed or definite

‘she had no firm plans for the next day’;

Signverb

To assign or convey formally; - used with away.

Firmadjective

(of a currency, shares, etc.) having a steady value or price which is more likely to rise than fall

‘the pound was firm against the dollar’;

Signverb

To mark; to make distinguishable.

Firmverb

make more solid or resilient

‘how can I firm up a sagging bustline?’;

Signverb

To be a sign or omen.

Firmverb

fix (a plant) securely in the soil

‘don't tread around bushes to firm them’;

Signverb

To make a sign or signal; to communicate directions or intelligence by signs.

Firmverb

make (an agreement or plan) explicit and definite

‘the agreements still have to be firmed up’;

Signverb

To write one's name, esp. as a token of assent, responsibility, or obligation.

Firmverb

(of a price) rise slightly to reach a level considered secure

‘the shares firmed 15p to 620p’; ‘he believed house prices would firm by the end of the year’;

Signnoun

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened);

‘he showed signs of strain’; ‘they welcomed the signs of spring’;

Firmadverb

in a resolute and determined manner

‘the Chancellor has held firm to tough economic policies’; ‘she will stand firm against the government's proposal’;

Signnoun

a public display of a (usually written) message;

‘he posted signs in all the shop windows’;

Firmnoun

a business concern, especially one involving a partnership of two or more people

‘a law firm’; ‘state support for small firms’;

Signnoun

any communication that encodes a message;

‘signals from the boat suddenly stopped’;

Firmnoun

a group of hospital doctors working as a team, headed by a consultant.

Signnoun

structure displaying a board on which advertisements can be posted;

‘the highway was lined with signboards’;

Firmnoun

an organized group of football supporters known for their aggressive attitudes towards rival fans.

Signnoun

(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided

Signnoun

(medicine) any objective evidence of the presence of a disorder or disease;

‘there were no signs of asphixiation’;

Signnoun

having an indicated pole (as the distinction between positive and negative electric charges);

‘he got the polarity of the battery reversed’; ‘charges of opposite sign’;

Signnoun

an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come;

‘he hoped it was an augury’; ‘it was a sign from God’;

Signnoun

a gesture that is part of a sign language

Signnoun

a fundamental linguistic unit linking a signifier to that which is signified;

‘The bond between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary’;

Signnoun

a character indicating a relation between quantities;

‘don't forget the minus sign’;

Signverb

mark with one's signature; write one's name (on);

‘She signed the letter and sent it off’; ‘Please sign here’;

Signverb

approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation;

‘All parties ratified the peace treaty’; ‘Have you signed your contract yet?’;

Signverb

be engaged by a written agreement;

‘He signed to play the casino on Dec. 18’; ‘The soprano signed to sing the new opera’;

Signverb

engage by written agreement;

‘They signed two new pitchers for the next season’;

Signverb

communicate silently and non-verbally by signals or signs;

‘He signed his disapproval with a dismissive hand gesture’; ‘The diner signaled the waiters to bring the menu’;

Signverb

place signs, as along a road;

‘sign an intersection’; ‘This road has been signed’;

Signverb

communicate in sign language;

‘I don't know how to sign, so I could not communicate with my deaf cousin’;

Signverb

make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate

Signadjective

used of the language of the deaf

Signnoun

an object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else

‘the shops are full, which is a sign that the recession is past its worst’; ‘flowers are often given as a sign of affection’;

Signnoun

something regarded as an indication of what is happening or going to happen

‘the signs are that counterfeiting is growing at an alarming rate’;

Signnoun

used to indicate that someone or something is not where they should be or are expected to be

‘there was still no sign of her’;

Signnoun

an indication of a disease detectable by a medical practitioner even if not apparent to the patient

‘clinical signs of liver disease’;

Signnoun

a miracle regarded as evidence of supernatural power (chiefly in biblical and literary use)

‘he observed signs and miracles taking place’;

Signnoun

the trail of a wild animal

‘wolverine sign’;

Signnoun

a gesture or action used to convey information or an instruction

‘she gave him the thumbs-up sign’;

Signnoun

an action or reaction that conveys something about someone

‘she gave no sign of having seen him’;

Signnoun

a gesture used in a system of sign language.

Signnoun

short for sign language

Signnoun

a symbol or word used to represent an operation, instruction, concept, or object in algebra, music, or other subjects

‘the integral sign ∫’;

Signnoun

a word or gesture given according to prior arrangement as a means of identification; a password.

Signnoun

a notice on public display that gives information or instructions in a written or symbolic form

‘I didn't see the ‘Stop’ sign’;

Signnoun

each of the twelve equal sections into which the zodiac is divided, named from the constellations formerly situated in each, and associated with successive periods of the year according to the position of the sun on the ecliptic

‘a person born under the sign of Virgo’; ‘a sign of the Zodiac’;

Signnoun

the positiveness or negativeness of a quantity

‘the last four bits hold a pattern to represent the sign of the number’;

Signverb

write one's name on (a letter, card, document, etc.) to identify oneself as the writer or sender

‘the card was signed by the whole class’;

Signverb

authorize (a document or other written or printed material) by attaching a signature

‘the two countries signed a non-aggression treaty’;

Signverb

write (one's name) for purposes of identification or authorization

‘she signed her name in the book’; ‘she signed herself Imogen’; ‘he signed on the dotted line’;

Signverb

engage (someone, typically a sports player or a musician) to work for one by signing a contract with them

‘the manager plans to sign a new goalkeeper’;

Signverb

commit oneself to work by signing a contract

‘a new striker has signed for Blackburn’;

Signverb

use gestures to convey information or instructions

‘she signed to her husband to leave the room’;

Signverb

communicate in sign language

‘she was learning to sign’;

Signverb

express or perform (something) in sign language

‘the theatre routinely puts on signed performances’; ‘the Deaf Association Choir signed the hymns’;

Signverb

indicate with signposts or other markers

‘the footpath is signed by the gate’;

Signverb

mark or consecrate with the sign of the cross

‘he signed himself with the cross’;

Sign

A sign is an object, quality, event, or entity whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. A natural sign bears a causal relation to its object—for instance, thunder is a sign of storm, or medical symptoms a sign of disease.