denote

What it means

1. transitiveTo indicate; to mark.

   The yellow blazes denote the trail.

   3 more examples

   together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, that can denote me truly

   c. 1599-1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, act 1, scene 2; republished as Hamlet, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1992, →ISBN, page 9

   The letters "SC" inscribed on the smokebox door of a locomotive denote that it is fitted with a self-cleaning smokebox.

   1951 January, “The Why and the Wherefore: Locomotive Markings”, in Railway Magazine, page 73

   You'll find the usual holidays — Christmas and New Year's — denoted on this and other feminist calendars and even Jewish holy days and lunar phases, but Lesbian/Gay Pride Day is noticeably (and sadly) absent.

   1982 December 25, J. Grainger, “Gay-by-Gay Calendars at a Glance”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 23, page 9

2. transitiveTo make overt.
3. transitiveTo refer to literally; to convey as objective meaning.

   The prefix pre- denotes "before", as in preview.

In a sentence

The yellow blazes denote the trail.

Where it comes from

1. Latindenotare
2. Middle Frenchdenoter
3. Englishdenote

From Middle French denoter, from Latin denotare, from de- (“complete”) and notare (“to mark out”).