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Intimation vs Signal - What's the difference?

intimation | signal |

As nouns the difference between intimation and signal

is that intimation is the act of intimating; also, the thing intimated while signal is signal.

intimation

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act of intimating; also, the thing intimated.
  • Announcement; declaration.
  • * (Holland)
    • They made an edict with an intimation that whosoever killed a stork, should be banished.
  • A hint; an obscure or indirect suggestion or notice; a remote or ambiguous reference; as, he had given only intimations of his design.
  • *
    • Without mentioning the king of England, or giving the least intimation that he was sent by him.
  • * 1862 , (Henry David Thoreau), :
    • At length, perchance, the immaterial heaven will appear as much higher to the American mind, and the intimations that star it as much brighter.

    Related terms

    * intimacy * intimate

    signal

    English

    (wikipedia signal)

    Alternative forms

    * signall

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sign made to give notice of some occurrence, command, or danger, or to indicate the start of a concerted action.
  • * Milton
    • All obeyed / The wonted signal and superior voice / Of this great potentate.
  • An on-off light, semaphore, or other device used to give an indication to another person.
  • (of a radio, TV, telephone, internet, etc) An electrical or electromagnetic action, normally a voltage that is a function of time that conveys the information of the radio or TV program or of communication with another party.
    • My mobile phone can't get a signal in the railway station.
  • A token; an indication; a foreshadowing; a sign.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The weary sun / Gives signal of a goodly day to-morrow.
  • * De Foe
    • There was not the least signal of the calamity to be seen.
  • Useful information, as opposed to noise.
  • (computing, Unix) A simple interprocess communication used to notify a process or thread of an occurrence.

    • Antonyms

    * (useful information) noise

    Derived terms

    * signal box * signalman * signalwoman * smoke signal

    See also

    * tocsin

    Verb

  • To indicate.

    • Adjective

    (-)
  • Standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement.
    • a signal''' exploit; a '''signal''' service; a '''signal act of benevolence
  • * Milton
    • As signal now in low, dejected state / As erst in highest, behold him where he lies.

    Related terms

    * (adjective)

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----