semeio-, sema-, semato-, semat-, semasio-, semio-, -semic, -semia

(Greek: signal, signals; sign, signs; mark, marks; symbol, symbols)

polyseme (s), polysemes (pl)
1. A word, or words, with many meanings.
2. A word or phrase, or words and phrases, with multiple, related meanings.
polysemia, poysemeia
1. Multiplicity of meanings.
2. The capability of words to assume various new meanings without losing the older meaning or meanings.
polysemous (adjective) (not comparable)
A reference to words having many meanings: The majority of natural human languages are polysemous or having more than one meaning per word.

When a word or phrase has several meanings, you can describe that word as a polysemous term.

One word that's famously polysemous is "bank."

polysemy (puh LIS uh mee, PAHL ee see" mee )
1. Having or characterized by having many meanings.
2. The existence of several meanings for a single word or phrase.

Pointing to a page about a multitude of words Learn more about polysemy and polysemous and how they apply to multiple words.

semanteme
1. The smallest possible unit of meaning in language that expresses a single image or idea; such as, cat, sit, non-, etc.
2. A language element that expresses a definite idea or image; such as, a word, base of a word, or data element.
semantic
1. Relating to a meaning or the differences between meanings of words or symbols.
2. Referring to the conditions in which a system or theory can be said to be true.
3. Of, pertaining to, or arising from the different meanings of words or other symbols.
semantic analysis
1. In linguistics, the study of the relationships between words and symbols in a language and their interpretations.
2. In a computer, the analysis of the meaning of a programming language statement which follows a semantic analysis or the phase in which the compiler adds semantic information to the parse tree and builds the symbol table.
semantic code
A mental concept of an idea, an object, or an event which is based on its function or properties; as distinguished from its visual image or language for knowledge representation.
semantic component
1. That part of grammar which contains the rules that provide syntactic structures with a semantic interpretation.
2. Any individual part of a word which distinguishes its meaning from other words; such as, the suffix -ed in "look" versus "looked", or "link" versus "linked".
semantic markers
Markers associated with a word; especially, a noun which describe semantic categories to which the word belongs; for example, animate, human, and countable.
semantic memory (s) (noun), semantic memories (pl)
General memory for anything significant or having meaning, including words, facts, and ideas.
semantic network model
A theory of the configuration of long-term memory, proposing that material is stored as independent units; such as, words, symbols, or concepts, which are then connected to one another.
semantic web
1. An evolving extension of the World Wide Web in which web content can be expressed not only in natural language, but also in a format which can be read and used by software agents; therefore, permitting them to find, share and integrate information more easily.

It derives from W3C director Tim Berners-Lee's vision of the Web as a universal medium for data, information, and knowledge exchange.

2. A set of formats and languages that find and analyze data on the World Wide Web, allowing consumers and businesses to understand all kinds of useful online information.
—Defined in "The Semantic Web in Action", by Lee Feigenbaum, et al.;
Scientific American; December, 2007; page 65.
semantics
1. The study of how meaning in language is created by the use and interrelationships of words, phrases, and sentences.
2. The study of the relationship between symbols and what they represent.
semaphore, semaphoric, semiphorical, semaphorically
1. A visual system for sending information by means of two flags that are held one in each hand, using an alphabetic code based on the position of the signaler's arms.
2. Mechanical signaling device: a signaling device for sending information over distances using mechanically operated arms or flags mounted on a post, especially on a railroad.