[see-mee-ot-iks, sem-ee-, see-mahy-] 
) | 1. | the study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior; the analysis of systems of communication, as language, gestures, or clothing. |
| 2. | a general theory of signs and symbolism, usually divided into the branches of pragmatics, semantics, and syntactics. |
[see-mee-ot-ik, sem-ee, see-mahy-] | 1. | of or pertaining to signs. |
| 2. | of or pertaining to semiotics. |
| 3. | Medicine/Medical. of or pertaining to symptoms; symptomatic. |
| 4. | semiotics. |
, n. use of fem. of sēmeiōtikós, adapted by John Locke (on the model of Gk logik logic, etc.; see -ic ) to mean “the doctrine of signs”; (defs. 1, 2) based on Locke's coinage or a reanalysis of the Gk word| se·mi·ot·ics also se·mei·ot·ics (sē'mē-ŏt'ĭks, sěm'ē-, sē'mī-) n. (used with a sing. verb) The theory and study of signs and symbols, especially as elements of language or other systems of communication, and comprising semantics, syntactics, and pragmatics. se'mi·o·ti'cian (-ə-tĭsh'ən) n. |