denote

Etymology

From Middle French denoter, from Latin denotare, from de- (“complete”) and notare (“to mark out”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈnəʊt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɪˈnoʊt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊt

Verb

denote (third-person singular simple present denotes, present participle denoting, simple past and past participle denoted)

1. (transitive) To indicate; to mark.

   The yellow blazes denote the trail.

   • c. 1599-1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, act 1, scene 2; republished as Hamlet, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1992, →ISBN, page 9:

     together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, that can denote me truly

   • 1951 January, “The Why and the Wherefore: Locomotive Markings”, in Railway Magazine, page 73:

     The letters "SC" inscribed on the smokebox door of a locomotive denote that it is fitted with a self-cleaning smokebox.

   • 1982 December 25, J. Grainger, “Gay-by-Gay Calendars at a Glance”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 23, page 9:

     You'll find the usual holidays — Christmas and New Year's — denoted on this and other feminist calendars and even Jewish holy days and lunar phases, but Lesbian/Gay Pride Day is noticeably (and sadly) absent.

2. (transitive) To make overt. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
3. (transitive) To refer to literally; to convey as objective meaning.

   Coordinate terms: connote, evoke, allude

   The prefix pre- denotes "before", as in preview.

Verb

denote

1. inflection of denotar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deˈnote/ [d̪eˈno.t̪e]
• Rhymes: -ote
• Syllabification: de‧no‧te

Verb

denote

1. inflection of denotar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative