verb

mean

MEEN/miːn/

To have a particular idea in mind.

The sign means that dogs cannot come inside the building.

A crossed-out dog pictogram signifies that dogs may not enter: a visitor with a leashed dog pauses outside an entrance while an attendant points to the pictogram and gently blocks the dog's passage.

Etymology

Old English mænan already covered both intending something and conveying a sense through words. That pairing connects what someone has in mind with what that person's words signify.

In context

Beyond Shakespeare67:12

Barabus and one of the Abigail's suitors are talking about a diamond and they obviously mean her virginity

A Maidenhead Well Lost by Thomas Heywood | First Look, part 2 (Beyond Shakespeare Exploring Session)

More examples

By 'early,' I mean before eight in the morning.
She means to call her sister after work.
I meant the blue folder, not the green one.
What does this word mean?

Forms

mean · means · meant · meaning

meaning noun — The idea that something expresses or conveys.

Similar words

intend: Focuses on a person's purpose rather than what something expresses.
signify: Focuses on what something represents, not a person's intention.
convey: Emphasizes communicating an idea or feeling to someone else.