Lewis & Short

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signĭfĭco, āvi, ātum, 1 (dep. collat. form signĭfĭcor, acc. to Gell. 18, 12, 10, without an example), v. a. [signum-facio].

  1. I. In gen., to show by signs; to show, point out, express, publish, make known, indicate; to intimate, notify, signify, etc. (freq. and class.; syn.: monstro, declaro, indico).
          1. (α) With acc.: aliquid alicui, Plaut. Rud. 4, 1, 5: hoc mihi significasse et annuisse visus est, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 91, § 213: quae significari ac declarari volemus, id. de Or. 3, 13, 49: gratulationem, id. Att. 4, 1, 5: stultitiam, id. Agr. 2, 12, 30: deditionem, Caes. B. G. 7, 40: timorem fremitu et concursu, id. ib. 4, 14: vir, quem ne inimicus quidem satis in appellando significare poterat, Cic. Font. 17, 39 (13, 29): aliquid per gestum, Ov. Tr. 5, 10, 36 et saep.
            With two acc. (rare): ut eorum ornatus in his regem neminem significaret, Nep. Ages. 8, 2; id. Them. 2, 7.
          2. (β) With object clause: hoc tibi non significandum solum, sed etiam declarandum arbitror, nihil mihi esse potuisse tuis litteris gratius, Cic. Fam. 5, 13, 2; cf. id. Mil. 2, 4: provocationem a regibus fuisse significant nostri augurales, id. Rep. 2, 31, 54: se esse admodum delectatos, id. ib. 3, 30, 42: omnes voce significare coeperunt, sese, etc., Caes. B. G. 2, 13; 4, 3; cf.: hoc significant, sese ad statuas tuas pecuniam contulisse, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 60, § 148.
          3. (γ) With rel. or interrog.-clause: neque unde, nec quo die datae essent (litterae), aut quo tempore te exspectarem, significabant, Cic. Fam. 2, 19, 1: nutu significat, quid velit, Ov. M. 3, 643: (anseres et canes) aluntur in Capitolio, ut significent, si fures venerint, etc., Cic. Rosc. Am. 20, 56: significare coeperunt, ut dimitterentur, Caes. B. C. 1, 86.
          4. (δ) With de: significare de fugā Romanis coeperunt, Caes. B. G. 7, 26: est aliquid de virtute significatum tuā, Cic. Planc. 21, 52.
            (ε) Absol.: diversae state … Neve inter vos significetis, Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 14: significare inter sese coeperunt, Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 122: ut quam maxime significem, id. Tusc. 2, 20, 46: ut fumo atque ignibus significabatur, Caes. B. G. 2, 7 fin.: ubi major atque illustrior incidit res, clamore per agros regionesque significant, id. ib. 7, 3.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. To betoken, prognosticate, foreshow, portend, mean (syn. praedico): futura posse a quibusdam significari, Cic. Div. 1, 1, 2: quid haec tanta celeritas festinatioque significat? id. Rosc. Am. 34, 97: quid sibi significent, trepidantia consulit exta, Ov. M. 15, 576; cf.: quid mihi significant ergo mea visa? id. ib. 9, 495: significet placidos nuntia fibra deos, Tib. 2, 1, 25: quae fato manent, quamvis significata, non vitantur, Tac. H. 1, 18.
      1. 2. To betoken a change of weather (post-Aug.): ventus Africus tempestatem significat, etc., Col. 11, 2, 4 sq.: serenos dies (luna), Plin. 18, 35, 79, § 348: imbrem (occasus Librae), id. ib. 26, 66, § 246.
        Absol.: terreni ignes proxime significant, Plin. 18, 35, 84, § 357.
    2. B. To call, name: quod Antoninum filium suum ipse significari voluit, Capitol. Gord. 16.
    3. C. To mean, import, signify; of words: carere hoc significat, egere eo, quod habere velis, etc., Cic. Tusc. 1, 36, 88: multa verba aliud nunc ostendunt, aliud ante significabant, ut hostis, Varr. L. L. 5, § 3 Müll.; 9, § 85 ib.: videtis hoc uno verbo unde significare res duas, et ex quo et a quo loco, Cic. Caecin. 30, 88.
      Of a fable: haec significat fabula dominum videre plurimum, Phaedr. 2, 8, 27; 4, 10, 16.
      Hence, signĭfĭcans, antis, P. a., in rhet. lang., of speech, full of meaning, expressive, significant; graphic, distinct, clear: locorum dilucida et significans descriptio, Quint. 9, 2, 44: verba, id. 11, 1, 2; cf. id. 4, 2, 36; 4, 2, 8, prooem. § 31: demonstratio, Plin. 8, 40, 61, § 147.
      Transf., of orators: Atticos esse lucidos et significantes, Quint. 12, 10, 21.
      Comp.: quo nihil inveniri possit significantius, Quint. 8, 2, 9; 8, 6, 6.
      Sup.: significantissimum vocabulum, Gell. 1, 15, 17.
      Adv.: signĭfĭcanter, clearly, distinctly, expressly, significantly, graphically: breviter ac significanter ordinem rei protulisse, Quint. 11, 1, 53: rem indicare (with proprie), id. 12, 10, 52: dicere (with ornate), id. 1, 7, 32.
      Comp.: apertius, significantius dignitatem alicujus defendere, Cic. Fam. 3, 12, 3: narrare, Quint. 10, 1, 49: disponere, id. 3, 6, 65: appellare aliquid (with consignatius), Gell. 1, 25, 8: dicere (with probabilius), id. 17, 2, 11.
      Sup., Pseudo Quint. Decl. 247.