semaphore

See also sémaphore

English

Wikipedia

Semaphore signals at Worcester Shrub Hill railway station

The semaphore signalling alphabet

Etymology

Borrowed in 1816 from French sémaphore, coined in French from Ancient Greek σῆμα (sêma, “sign”), and -φωρος (-phoros), from φέρω (férō, “to bear, carry”).

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈsɛm.əˌfɔː(ɹ)/

Noun

semaphore (plural semaphores)

1. Any visual signaling system with flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms.
2. A visual system for transmitting information by means of two flags that are held one in each hand, using an alphabetic and numeric code based on the position of the signaler’s arms.
3. (computing) A bit, token, fragment of code, or some other mechanism which is used to restrict access to a shared function or device to a single process at a time, or to synchronize and coordinate events in different processes.

Translations

visual signaling system

Catalan: semàfor (ca) m. Czech: semafor (cs) m. Dutch: semafoor m. Hungarian: szemafor (hu)

Russian: семафор (ru) (semafór) m. Serbo-Croatian: се̏мафо̄р (sh) m., sȅmafōr (sh) m. Spanish: semáforo (es)

visual signaling with flags

Dutch: semafoor m.

computing term

Czech: semafor (cs) m. Dutch: semafoor m. Finnish: semafori (fi) French: sémaphore (fr) m.

German: Semaphor (de) m. Icelandic: veif (is) f. Swedish: semafor (sv) c. Turkish: semafor (tr)

Verb

semaphore (third-person singular simple present semaphores, present participle semaphoring, simple past and past participle semaphored)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To signal using (or as if using) a semaphore.
   • He semaphored his intention by wearing his best suit.

Translations

to signal using semaphore

Dutch: signaleren (nl), seinen (nl)