rĕ-signo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a.
I To unseal , open (class.).
A Lit.: litteras, Plaut. Trin. 3, 3, 65; Cic. Att. 11, 9, 2: testamenta, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 9; Dig. 28, 1, 23; 29, 3, 6: loculos, Plin. 14, 13, 14, § 89.—Poet.: perjuria Graia resignat, breaks through the faithless band , Sil. 17, 426: (Mercurius) lumina morte resignat, opens the eyes of the dead whom he is about to conduct to Orcus, Verg. A. 4, 244.—
B Trop.
1 To annul , cancel , invalidate , rescind , destroy (syn.: rescindere, dissolvere): tabularum fidem, Cic. Arch. 5, 9: ne quid ex constituti fide resignaret, violate , Flor. 4, 7, 14 Duker: pacta, Sil. 4, 790: jura leti (Mercurius), Prud. adv. Symm. 1, 90: quorum mors resignata est, Lact. 7, 22 fin. —
2 To disclose , reveal (only poet.): venientia fata, Ov. F. 6, 535: hoc, quod latet, etc., Pers. 5, 28: verba, Mart. 9, 36, 5. —
II Ante-class. and in Hor. = rescribere (I. B. 2.), to transfer in an account; to assign to one: resignare antiqui dicebant pro rescribere, ut adhuc subsignare dicimus pro subscribere, Fest. p. 281, 31 Müll.: resignatum aes dicitur militi, cum ob delictum aliquod jussu tribuni militum, ne stipendium ei detur, in tabulas refertur. Signare enim dicebant pro scribere, id. pp. 284 and 285 ib.; Cato ap. Serv. Verg. A. 4, 244. — Hence, to give back , resign , = reddere: laudo manentem (Fortunam): si celeres quatit Pennas, resigno quae dedit, Hor. C. 3, 29, 54: cuncta resigno, id. Ep. 1, 7, 34.