figure
UK /ˈfɪɡə/ · US /ˈfɪɡɚ/ noun, verb
Forms figures figuring figured
- noun A drawing or diagram conveying information.
- noun The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modelling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body.
- noun A person, thing, or action representative of another
- noun The appearance or impression made by the conduct or career of a person. “He cut a sorry figure standing there in the rain.”
- noun (obsolete) Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendour; show.
- noun A human figure, which dress or corset must fit to; the shape of a human body.
- noun A numeral.
- noun A number, an amount.
- verb (chiefly US) To calculate, to solve a mathematical problem.
- verb (chiefly US) To come to understand. “I can’t figure if he’s telling the truth or lying.”
- verb To think, to assume, to suppose, to reckon. “We can figure on running a loss this year.”
- verb (chiefly US, intransitive) To be reasonable or predictable. “It figures that somebody like him would be upset about the situation.”
- verb (intransitive) To enter into; to be a part of.
- verb (transitive) To represent in a picture or drawing.
- verb (obsolete) To represent by a figure, as to form or mould; to make an image of, either palpable or ideal; also, to fashion into a determinate form; to shape.
- verb To embellish with design; to adorn with figures.
Synonyms
check out track make sense add up fig human body physical body material body soma build physique anatomy shape bod chassis frame form flesh digit name public figure number trope figure of speech image design pattern calculate estimate reckon
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English figure, borrowed from Old French figure, from Latin figūra (“form, shape, form of a word, a figure of speech, Late Latin a sketch, drawing”), from fingō (“to form, shape, mold, fashion”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- (“to mold, shape, form, knead”). Cognate with Ancient Greek τεῖχος (teîkhos), Sanskrit देग्धि (dégdhi), Old English dāg (“dough”). More at dough. Doublet of figura.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The form of anything; shape; outline; appearance.
- noun 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.
- verb 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.
- verb To embellish with design; to adorn with figures.
Etymology [F., figure, L. figura; akin to fingere to form, shape, feign. See Feign.]
Etymology [F. figurer, L. figurare, fr. figura. See Figure, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “figure”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details