Signpost

/ˈsɪɡnpoʊst/ noun, verb

Definition

A post with signs showing directions and distances; or to indicate something clearly.

Etymology

Compound word from 'sign' (from Latin 'signum') and 'post' (from Latin 'postis' meaning doorpost or pole). Became common around the 1600s for marking roads.

Kelly Says

The first systematic road signposts in America were built by Native Americans creating blazes on trees centuries before Europeans arrived—showing the same human need to mark pathways.

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