semaphore

Meanings

Noun

• Any equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to represent letters of the alphabet, or words.
• A visual system for transmitting information using the above equipment; especially, by means of two flags held one in each hand, using an alphabetic and numeric code based on the position of the signaller's arms; flag semaphore.
• 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.

Verb

• To signal using, or as if using, a semaphore, with the implication that it is done nonverbally.

Origin

• The noun is borrowed from French sémaphore, from Ancient Greek σῆμα (from Proto-Indo-European *dʰyeh₂-) + French -phore (from Ancient Greek -φορος, from φέρω, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-).
• The verb is derived from the noun.