Lewis & Short

dē-signo or dissigno (the latter form preferred by Brambach in sense II. B. 2. infra; so Keller, ad Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 16; cf. Roby, L. G. 2, p. 384), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to mark out, trace out (freq. in the Aug. per.); to describe, designate, define (for syn. cf.: nomino, appello; voco, dico; facio, coöpto, evoco, prodo, declaro, renuntio, seligo).

  1. I. Lit.: Aeneas urbem designat aratro, Verg. A. 5, 755; cf.: moenia fossā, id. ib. 7, 157: moenia sulco, Ov. F. 4, 825; and: oppidum sulco, Tac. A. 12, 24.
    With dat.: finis templo Jovis, Liv. 1, 10; cf.: locum circo, id. 1, 35:—vulnere frontem, to mark, Stat. Th. 6, 782; cf.: nubila ingenti gyro, id. ib. 1, 311.
    1. * B. Transf., to delineate, design, depict, represent, sc. by embroidering, weaving, etc.: Europen, Ov. M. 6, 103.
      Far more freq.,
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to point out, mark, denote by speech; to designate, describe, represent: haec ab hominibus callidis animadversa ac notata, verbis designata, Cic. de Or. 1, 23, 109; cf.: affectus velut primis lineis designare, Quint. 4, 2, 120; and: aliquem aliqua oratione, Caes. B. G. 1, 18: notat et designat oculis ad caedem unumquemque nostrum, Cic. Cat. 1, 1, 2; cf.: aliquem digito, Ov. Am. 3, 1, 19; 3, 6, 77: decumam ex praeda, Liv. 5, 25: aliquem nota ignaviae, id. 24, 16: turpitudinem aliquam, Cic. de Or. 2, 58, 236: quem (mundum) alio loco ipse designarit deum, id. N. D. 1, 13, 33: multa, quae nimiam luxuriam et victoriae fiduciam designarent, Caes. B. C. 3, 96.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. In a bad sense, to contrive, devise, perpetrate (syn.: exsequi, patrare, perpetrare—very rare): quae designata sint et facta nequitia, Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 66; cf.: Illa, quae antehac facta sunt, Omitto; modo quid designavit! Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 7 Donat.
        In a good sense: quid non ebrietas designat, effect, do, accomplish, Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 16 Orell.
      2. 2. With access. idea of arrangement, to dispose, regulate, arrange, appoint, ordain, nominate, elect, choose: constituere et designare aliquid, Cic. Div. 1, 38, 82: Anaxagoras primus omnium rerum descriptionem et modum mentis infinitae vi ac ratione designari et confici voluit, to be designed and executed, id. N. D. 1, 11; cf. id. ib. 3, 35.
        Esp., to appoint to a public office: aliquem praetorem, Suet. Cal. 18: Mamertinum Consulem, Amm. 21, 12, 25: ut ii decemviratum habeant, quos plebs designaverit: oblitus est, nullos ab plebe designari, Cic. Agr. 2, 10 fin.: Catilina in proximum annum consulatum petebat, sperans si designatus foret, etc., Sall. C. 26.
        Hence,
        1. b. Polit. t. t.: dēsig-nātus, elect; applied to a person elected to an office, but who has not yet entered upon it: consul, Cic. Fam. 11, 6; Vell. 2, 58, and the superscriptions of letters in Cic. Fam. 11, 4-8: tribunus plebis, id. Agr. 2, 5, 11; id. Att. 3, 13; Sall. J. 27, 2: quaestor, Vell. 2, 111, 3 et saep.
          Also, said of the office itself: Pompeio consulatus designatus est, Gell. 14, 7, 1.
          1. (β) Transf., expected; of a child not yet born: designatus civis, Cic. Clu. 11, 32.