signo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [signum], to set a mark upon, to mark, mark out, designate (syn.: noto, designo).
I Lit.
A In gen. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): discrimen non facit neque signat linea alba, Lucil. ap. Non. 405, 17: signata sanguine pluma est, Ov. M. 6, 670: ne signare quidem aut partiri limite campum Fas erat, Verg. G. 1, 126: humum limite mensor, Ov. M. 1, 136; id. Am. 3, 8, 42: moenia aratro, id. F. 4, 819: pede certo humum, to print , press , Hor. A. P. 159; cf.: vestigia summo pulvere, to mark , imprint , Verg. G. 3, 171: auratā cyclade humum, Prop. 4 (5), 7, 40: haec nostro signabitur area curru, Ov. A. A. 1, 39: locum, ubi ea (cistella) excidit, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 28: caeli regionem in cortice signant, mark , cut , Verg. G. 2, 269: nomina saxo, Ov. M. 8, 539: rem stilo, Vell. 1, 16, 1: rem carmine, Verg. A. 3, 287; for which: carmine saxum, Ov. M. 2, 326: cubitum longis litteris, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 7: ceram figuris, to imprint , Ov. M. 15, 169: cruor signaverat herbam, had stained , id. ib. 10, 210; cf. id. ib. 12, 125: signatum sanguine pectus, id. A. A. 2, 384: dubiā lanugine malas, id. M. 13, 754: signata in stirpe cicatrix, Verg. G. 2, 379: manibus Procne pectus signata cruentis, id. ib. 4, 15: vocis infinitios sonos paucis notis, Cic. Rep. 3, 2, 3: visum objectum imprimet et quasi signabit in animo suam speciem, id. Fat. 19, 43.—
B In partic.
1 To mark with a seal; to seal , seal up , affix a seal to a thing (usually obsignare): accepi a te signatum libellum, Cic. Att. 11, 1, 1: volumina, Hor. Ep. 1, 13, 2: locellum tibi signatum remisi, Caes. ap. Charis. p. 60 P.: epistula, Nep. Pel. 3, 2: arcanas tabellas, Ov. Am. 2, 15, 15: signatis quicquam mandare tabellis, Tib. 3, 13, 7: lagenam (anulus), Mart. 9, 88, 7: testamentum, Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 8 sq.; cf. Mart. 5, 39, 2: nec nisi signata venumdabatur (terra), Plin. 35, 4, 14, § 33.— Absol. , Mart. 10, 70, 7; Quint. 5, 7, 32; Suet. Ner. 17.—
2 To mark with a stamp; hence,
a Of money, to stamp , to coin : aes argentum aurumve publice signanto, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6; cf.: qui primus ex auro denarium signavit ... Servius rex primus signavit aes ... Signatum est nota pecudum, unde et pecunia appellata ... Argentum signatum est anno, etc., Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 44: argentum signatum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 25, § 63; Quint. 5, 10, 62; 5, 14, 26: pecunia signata Illyriorum signo, Liv. 44, 27, 9: denarius signatus Victoriā, Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 46: sed cur navalis in aere Altera signata est, Ov. F. 1, 230: milia talentūm argenti non signati formā, sed rudi pondere, Curt. 5, 2, 11.— Hence,
b Poet.: signatum memori pectore nomen habe, imprinted , impressed , Ov. H. 13, 66: (filia) quae patriā signatur imagine vultus, i. e. closely resembles her father , Mart. 6, 27, 3.—
c To stamp , i. e. to license , invest with official authority (late Lat.): quidam per ampla spatia urbis ... equos velut publicos signatis, quod dicitur, calceis agitant, Amm. 14, 6, 16.—
3 Pregn., to distinguish , adorn , decorate (poet.): pater ipse suo superūm jam signat honore, Verg. A. 6, 781 Heyne: caelum corona, Claud. Nupt. Hon. et Mar. 273.—
II Trop., to point out , signify , indicate , designate , express (rare; more usually significo, designo; in Cic. only Or. 19, 64, where dignata is given by Non. 281, 10; v. Meyer ad loc.): translatio plerumque signandis rebus ac sub oculos subiciendis reperta est, Quint. 8, 6, 19: quotiens suis verbis signare nostra voluerunt (Graeci), id. 2, 14, 1; cf.: appellatione signare, id. 4, 1, 2: utrius differentiam, id. 6, 2, 20; cf. id. 9, 1, 4; 12, 10, 16: nomen (Caieta) ossa signat, Verg. A. 7, 4: fama signata loco est, Ov. M. 14, 433: miratrixque sui signavit nomine terras, designated , Luc. 4, 655; cf.: (Earinus) Nomine qui signat tempora verna suo, Mart. 9, 17, 4: Turnus ut videt ... So signari oculis, singled out , looked to , Verg. A. 12, 3: signare responsum, to give a definite or distinct answer , Sen. Ben. 7, 16, 1.—With rel.-clause : memoria signat in quā regione quali adjutore legatoque fratre meo usus sit, Vell. 2, 115.—
B To distinguish , recognize : primi clipeos mentitaque tela Adgnoscunt, atque ora sono discordia signant, Verg. A. 2, 423; cf.: sonis homines dignoscere, Quint. 11, 3, 31: animo signa quodcumque in corpore mendum est, Ov. R. Am. 417.—
C To seal , settle , establish , confirm , prescribe (mostly poet.): signanda sunt jura, Prop. 3 (4), 20, 15: signata jura, Luc. 3, 302: jura Suevis, Claud. ap. Eutr. 1, 380; cf.: precati deos ut velint ea (vota) semper solvi semperque signari, Plin. Ep. 10, 35 (44).—
D To close , end : qui prima novo signat quinquennia lustro, Mart. 4, 45, 3.—Hence,
A signan-ter , adv. (acc. to II. A.), expressly , clearly , distinctly (late Lat. for the class. significanter): signanter et breviter omnia indicare, Aus. Grat. Act. 4: signanter et proprie dixerat, Hier. adv. Jovin. 1, 13 fin. —
B signātus , a, um, P. a.
1 (Acc. to I. B. 1. sealed; hence) Shut up , guarded , preserved (mostly ante- and post-class.): signata sacra, Varr. ap. Non. 397, 32: limina. Prop. 4 (5), 1, 145: Chrysidem negat signatam reddere, i. e. unharmed , intact , pure , Lucil. ap. Non. 171, 6; cf.: assume de viduis fide pulchram, aetate signatam, Tert. Exhort. 12.—
2 (Acc. to II. A.) Plain , clear , manifest (post-class. for significans): quid expressius atque signatius in hanc causam? Tert. Res. Carn. 13.—Adv.: signātē , clearly , distinctly (post-class.): qui (veteres) proprie atque signate locuti sunt, Gell. 2, 6, 6; Macr. S. 6, 7.— Comp. : signatius explicare aliquid, Amm. 23, 6, 1.