signĭfĭco — Lewis & Short
signĭfĭco, āvi, ātum, 1 (
I dep. collat. form signĭfĭcor, acc. to Gell. 18, 12, 10, without an example), v. a. signum-facio.
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).
(a) 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.—
(b) 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.—
(g) 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.—
(d) With de:
significare de fugā Romanis coeperunt,Caes. B. G. 7, 26:
est aliquid de virtute significatum tuā,Cic. Planc. 21, 52.—(e) 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.—
II In partic.
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.—
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.—
B To call, name:
quod Antoninum filium suum ipse significari voluit,Capitol. Gord. 16.—
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.