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.

Noun

The act of receiving.

(uncountable, electronics) The act or ability to receive radio or similar signals.

We have poor TV reception in the valley.

The new system provides exceptional quality of the reception signal.

A social engagement, usually to formally welcome someone.

After the wedding we proceeded to the reception .

A reaction.

The ambassador's jokes met a cold reception .

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=September 29 , author=Jon Smith , title=Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Former Tottenham star Rohan Ricketts came off the Rovers bench with 19 minutes to go to a warm reception from the home fans, six years after leaving the Lane.}}

The desk of a hotel or office where guests are received.

(UK, education) The school year, or part thereof, between preschool and Year 1, when children are introduced to formal education.