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Wordswarms From Years PastAdjacent Wordsfigurantfigurante Figurate Figurate counterpoint Figurate numbers Figurated Figurately Figuration Figurative Figuratively figurativeness Figure caster figure eight Figure flinger Figure flinging figure in figure loom figure of eight figure of merit figure of speech figure on figure out Figure painting figure skate figure skater Full-text Search for "Figure" 1615 |
Figure definitions
Webster's 1828 DictionaryFIG'URE, n. fig'ur. [L. figura, from figo, to fix or set. See Feign.] WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)n Merriam Webster's
Oxford Reference Dictionaryn. & v. --n. 1 a the external form or shape of a thing. b bodily shape (has a well-developed figure). 2 a a person as seen in outline but not identified (saw a figure leaning against the door). b a person as contemplated mentally (a public figure). 3 appearance as giving a certain impression (cut a poor figure). 4 a a representation of the human form in drawing, sculpture, etc. b an image or likeness. c an emblem or type. 5 Geom. a two-dimensional space enclosed by a line or lines, or a three-dimensional space enclosed by a surface or surfaces; any of the classes of these, e.g. the triangle, the sphere. 6 a a numerical symbol, esp. any of the ten in Arabic notation. b a number so expressed. c an amount of money, a value (cannot put a figure on it). d (in pl.) arithmetical calculations. 7 a diagram or illustrative drawing. 8 a decorative pattern. 9 a a division of a set dance, an evolution. b (in skating) a prescribed pattern of movements from a stationary position. 10 Mus. a short succession of notes producing a single impression, a brief melodic or rhythmic formula out of which longer passages are developed. 11 (in full figure of speech) a recognized form of rhetorical expression giving variety, force, etc., esp. metaphor or hyperbole. 12 Gram. a permitted deviation from the usual rules of construction, e.g. ellipsis. 13 Logic the form of a syllogism, classified according to the position of the middle term. 14 a horoscope. --v. 1 intr. appear or be mentioned, esp. prominently. 2 tr. represent in a diagram or picture. 3 tr. imagine; picture mentally. 4 tr. a embellish with a pattern (figured satin). b Mus. embellish with figures. 5 tr. mark with numbers (figured bass) or prices. 6 a tr. calculate. b intr. do arithmetic. 7 tr. be a symbol of, represent typically. 8 esp. US a tr. understand, ascertain, consider. b intr. colloq. be likely or understandable (that figures). Phrases and idioms: figured bass Mus. = CONTINUO. figure of fun a ridiculous person. figure on US count on, expect. figure out 1 work out by arithmetic or logic. 2 estimate. 3 understand. figure-skater a person who practises figure-skating. figure-skating skating in prescribed patterns from a stationary position. Derivatives: figureless adj. Etymology: ME f. OF figure (n.), figurer (v.) f. L figura, figurare, rel. to fingere fashion Webster's 1913 DictionaryFigure Fig"ure (?; 135), n. [F., figure, L. figura; akin to fingere to form, shape, feign. See Feign.] 1. The form of anything; shape; outline; appearance. Flowers have all exquisite figures. --Bacon. 2. The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modeling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body; as, a figure in bronze; a figure cut in marble. A coin that bears the figure of an angel. --Shak. 3. A pattern in cloth, paper, or other manufactured article; a design wrought out in a fabric; as, the muslin was of a pretty figure. 4. (Geom.) A diagram or drawing; made to represent a magnitude or the relation of two or more magnitudes; a surface or space inclosed on all sides; -- called superficial when inclosed by lines, and solid when inclosed by surface; any arrangement made up of points, lines, angles, surfaces, etc. 5. The appearance or impression made by the conduct or carrer of a person; as, a sorry figure. I made some figure there. --Dryden. Gentlemen of the best figure in the county. --Blackstone. 6. Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendor; show. That he may live in figure and indulgence. --Law. 7. A character or symbol representing a number; a numeral; a digit; as, 1, 2,3, etc. 8. Value, as expressed in numbers; price; as, the goods are estimated or sold at a low figure. [Colloq.] With nineteen thousand a year at the very lowest figure. --Thackeray. 9. A person, thing, or action, conceived of as analogous to another person, thing, or action, of which it thus becomes a type or representative. Who is the figure of Him that was to come. --Rom. v. 14. 10. (Rhet.) A mode of expressing abstract or immaterial ideas by words which suggest pictures or images from the physical world; pictorial language; a trope; hence, any deviation from the plainest form of statement. To represent the imagination under the figure of a wing. --Macaulay. 11. (Logic) The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term. 12. (Dancing) Any one of the several regular steps or movements made by a dancer. 13. (Astrol.) A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the astrological houses. --Johnson. 14. (Music) (a) Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords, which produce a single complete and distinct impression. --Grove. (b) A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a musical or motive; a florid embellishment. Note: Figures are often written upon the staff in music to denote the kind of measure. They are usually in the form of a fraction, the upper figure showing how many notes of the kind indicated by the lower are contained in one measure or bar. Thus, 2/4 signifies that the measure contains two quarter notes. The following are the principal figures used for this purpose: Webster's 1913 DictionaryFigure Fig"ure, v. t. 1. To make a figure; to be distinguished or conspicious; as, the envoy figured at court. Sociable, hospitable, eloquent, admired, figuring away brilliantly. --M. Arnold. 2. To calculate; to contrive; to scheme; as, he is figuring to secure the nomination. [Colloq.] Webster's 1913 DictionaryFigure Fig"ure, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Figured; p. pr. & vb. n. Figuring.] [F. figurer, L. figurare, fr. figura. See Figure, n.] 1. To represent by a figure, as to form or mold; to make an image of, either palpable or ideal; also, to fashion into a determinate form; to shape. If love, alas! be pain I bear, No thought can figure, and no tongue declare.Prior. 2. To embellish with design; to adorn with figures. The vaulty top of heaven Figured quite o'er with burning meteors. --Shak. 3. To indicate by numerals; also, to compute. As through a crystal glass the figured hours are seen. --Dryden. 4. To represent by a metaphor; to signify or symbolize. Whose white vestments figure innocence. --Shak. 5. To prefigure; to foreshow. In this the heaven figures some event. --Shak. 6. (Mus.) (a) To write over or under the bass, as figures or other characters, in order to indicate the accompanying chords. (b) To embellish. To figure out, to solve; to compute or find the result of. To figure up, to add; to reckon; to compute the amount of. Collin's Cobuild Dictionary(figures, figuring, figured) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A figure is a particular amount expressed as a number, especially a statistic. It would be very nice if we had a true figure of how many people in this country haven't got a job... It will not be long before the inflation figure starts to fall... New Government figures predict that one in two marriages will end in divorce. N-COUNT 2. A figure is any of the ten written symbols from 0 to 9 that are used to represent a number. = digit N-COUNT 3. An amount or number that is in single figures is between zero and nine. An amount or number that is in double figures is between ten and ninety-nine. You can also say, for example, that an amount or number is in three figures when it is between one hundred and nine hundred and ninety-nine. Inflation, which has usually been in single figures, is running at more than 12%... Crawley, with 14, was the only other player to reach double figures... N-PLURAL: adj/num N 4. You refer to someone that you can see as a figure when you cannot see them clearly or when you are describing them. She waited, standing on the bridge, until his figure vanished against the grey backdrop of the Palace... N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft N of n 5. In art, a figure is a person in a drawing or a painting, or a statue of a person. ...a life-size bronze figure of a brooding, hooded woman. N-COUNT 6. Your figure is the shape of your body. Take pride in your health and your figure... Janet was a natural blonde with a good figure. N-COUNT: with supp, oft poss/adj N 7. Someone who is referred to as a figure of a particular kind is a person who is well-known and important in some way. The movement is supported by key figures in the three main political parties. N-COUNT: with supp 8. If you say that someone is, for example, a mother figure or a hero figure, you mean that other people regard them as the type of person stated or suggested. Sometimes young lads just need to turn to a mother figure for a bit of a chat and reassurance. N-COUNT: with supp, usu n N, N of n 9. In books and magazines, the diagrams which help to show or explain information are referred to as figures. If you look at a world map (see Figure 1) you can identify the major wine-producing regions... N-COUNT: also N num 10. In geometry, a figure is a shape, especially a regular shape. (TECHNICAL) Draw a pentagon, a regular five-sided figure. N-COUNT: usu supp N 11. If you figure that something is the case, you think or guess that it is the case. (INFORMAL) She figured that both she and Ned had learned a lot from the experience. VERB: V that 12. If you say 'That figures' or 'It figures', you mean that the fact referred to is not surprising. (INFORMAL) When I finished, he said, 'Yeah. That figures'... VERB: that/it V, also it V that 13. If a person or thing figures in something, they appear in or are included in it. Human rights violations figured prominently in the report. VERB: no passive, V in n, also V as n International Standard Bible Encyclopediafig'-ur, fig'-yur (cemel, cemel; tupos): Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms
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