资料来源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Signify \Sig"ni*fy\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Signified}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Signifying}.] [F. signifier, L. significare; signum a
   sign + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See {Sign}, n., and
   {-fy}.]
   1. To show by a sign; to communicate by any conventional
      token, as words, gestures, signals, or the like; to
      announce; to make known; to declare; to express; as, a
      signified his desire to be present.

            I 'll to the king; and signify to him That thus I
            have resign'd my charge to you.       --Shak.

            The government should signify to the Protestants of
            Ireland that want of silver is not to be remedied.
                                                  --Swift.

   2. To mean; to import; to denote; to betoken.

            He bade her tell him what it signified. --Chaucer.

            A tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
            Signifying nothing.                   --Shak.

   Note: Signify is often used impersonally; as, it signifies
         nothing, it does not signify, that is, it is of no
         importance.

   Syn: To express; manifest; declare; utter; intimate; betoken;
        denote; imply; mean.

资料来源 : WordNet®

signify
     v 1: denote or connote; "`maison' means `house' in French"; "An
          example sentence would show what this word means" [syn:
          {mean}, {intend}, {stand for}]
     2: convey or express a meaning; "These words mean nothing to
        me!"; "What does his strange behavior signify?"
     3: make known with a word or signal; "He signified his wish to
        pay the bill for our meal"
     [also: {signified}]

signified
     n : the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word
         or expression or situation can be interpreted; "the
         dictionary gave several senses for the word"; "in the
         best sense charity is really a duty"; "the signifier is
         linked to the signified" [syn: {sense}]

signified
     See {signify}