"smoke signal" meaning in English

See smoke signal in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-smoke signal.ogg [Australia] Forms: smoke signals [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} smoke signal (plural smoke signals)
  1. (often pluralized) A method of long-distance communication sometimes used in ancient and undeveloped societies, consisting of messages conveyed by means of columns or intermittent puffs of smoke. Translations (ancient method of communication): rooksignaal [neuter] (Dutch), savumerkki (Finnish), Rauchzeichen [neuter] (German), füstjel (Hungarian), segnale di fumo [masculine] (Italian), röksignal [common-gender] (Swedish), димови́й сигна́л (dymovýj syhnál) [masculine] (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-smoke_signal-en-noun-uTaGEOs- Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 43 4 8 45 Disambiguation of 'ancient method of communication': 73 16 8 3
  2. A message or sign sent by this method.
    Sense id: en-smoke_signal-en-noun-4T1Ejq9w
  3. (idiomatic, often pluralized) An indirect message or indication, especially concerning a future event. Tags: idiomatic Translations (indirect indication): savumerkki (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-smoke_signal-en-noun-rOAyh1bR Disambiguation of 'indirect indication': 5 6 81 9
  4. A type of flare or combustion device sometimes used as a distress signal. Synonyms: smoke-signal Translations (distress signal): hätäsavu (Finnish), Rauchsignal [neuter] (German)
    Sense id: en-smoke_signal-en-noun-ecm2r3KP Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 43 4 8 45 Disambiguation of 'distress signal': 3 2 7 87

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for smoke signal meaning in English (5.2kB)

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        "(often pluralized) A method of long-distance communication sometimes used in ancient and undeveloped societies, consisting of messages conveyed by means of columns or intermittent puffs of smoke."
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          "_dis1": "73 16 8 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "ancient method of communication",
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          "word": "rooksignaal"
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          "_dis1": "73 16 8 3",
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          "_dis1": "73 16 8 3",
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          "lang": "German",
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          "lang": "Hungarian",
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          "code": "it",
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          "tags": [
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          "word": "segnale di fumo"
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          "_dis1": "73 16 8 3",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "ancient method of communication",
          "tags": [
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          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "dymovýj syhnál",
          "sense": "ancient method of communication",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "димови́й сигна́л"
        }
      ]
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1944, H. Lorna Bingham, Tuckonie's Warrior Friend, page 33, column 2",
          "text": "\"I have seen the first of the smoke signals, Gulunna,\" he said, \"Chief Bulla's tribes are on their way.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1971, A. W. Lintott, “Lucan and the History of the Civil War”, in The Classical Quarterly, volume 21, number 2, page 492",
          "text": "However, there are still signs of the careful study of sources—the smoke-signal which brought Caesar news of the Pompeian escape (279; Caes.3.65.2) and the second fortification inside the camp which Caesar attacked (288; Caes.3.66.4-5).",
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        "A message or sign sent by this method."
      ],
      "id": "en-smoke_signal-en-noun-4T1Ejq9w"
    },
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        {
          "ref": "1950 September 11, “The Wooing of Mao”, in Time",
          "text": "By every kind of wigwag and smoke signal in the language of diplomacy, the Administration seemed to be trying last week to tell Chinese Communist Boss Mao Tse-tung that he had nothing to worry about from the U.S.",
          "type": "quotation"
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        "(idiomatic, often pluralized) An indirect message or indication, especially concerning a future event."
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          "ref": "1965 March 12, “Operation Rescue”, in Time",
          "text": "A Huskie helicopter was whirring over the Gulf of Tonkin in search of Cullen when Vietnamese 1st Lieut. Nguyen Van Phu, who ditched his flaming Skyraider near the spot where the U.S. pilot went down, fired a smoke signal to attract its attention.",
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        "A type of flare or combustion device sometimes used as a distress signal."
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          "_dis1": "26 0 30 44",
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          "word": "hätäsavu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 7 87",
          "code": "de",
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          "sense": "distress signal",
          "tags": [
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        }
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      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/En-au-smoke_signal.ogg",
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "ancient method of communication",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "rooksignaal"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "ancient method of communication",
      "word": "savumerkki"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "ancient method of communication",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Rauchzeichen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "ancient method of communication",
      "word": "füstjel"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "ancient method of communication",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "segnale di fumo"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "ancient method of communication",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "röksignal"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "dymovýj syhnál",
      "sense": "ancient method of communication",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "димови́й сигна́л"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "indirect indication",
      "word": "savumerkki"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "distress signal",
      "word": "hätäsavu"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "distress signal",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Rauchsignal"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "smoke signal"
  ],
  "word": "smoke signal"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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