Sign vs sine

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Grammarist

Sign and sine are two commonly confused words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have different meanings, which makes them homophones. We will examine the different meanings of the homophonic words sign and sine, the word origins of the terms, and some examples of their English usage in sentences.

A sign is a mark or shape that signifies something with a particular meaning or is an indication of something occurring. A sign is also a notice such as a political yard sign, a billboard or a public plaque. Something that is miraculous or portends something may be called a sign. Sign is also a verb which means to write one’s name on a letter, statement or contract affirming one’s authorship or that one agrees with the document. The verb sign may mean to communicate in sign language or to enter into a contract with someone. Related words are signs, signed, signing.

Sine is a trigonometric function in mathematics. Sine is the ratio of the opposite side of a specified acute angle in a right triangle to the hypotenuse.

Examples

Ohio leaders and Jewish groups are speaking out against anti-Semitism after photographs from an April 18 stay-at-home order protest outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus showed a man holding an anti-Semitic sign. (The Cleveland Jewish News)

With April being Child Abuse Prevention Month, the GFWC Woman’s Club of Mingo placed pinwheels at the south end of town beneath the sign made possible because of the club. (The Weirton Daily Times)

For example, they can still sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act — former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law that President Donald Trump has fiercely fought to strike down since he first took office three years ago. (The Business Insider)

In the last several years, Betelgeuse has been dimming a bit which some astronomers take as a sign that the explosion is coming soon. (The Post Bulletin)

The 18-year-old senior watched as a video stream of his pre-calculus teacher flicked onto the screen and began taking notes as her voice explained the intricacies of how to chart sine and cosine equations. (The Houston Chronicle)

Determining how to make the angled cuts took us back to our high school trigonometry days and had us YouTubing how to achieve sine and cosine angles. (The Daily World)