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A Writer's Dictionary:

figure Definition


Dictionary Home » Words Starting with F » field sports ... filariae » figure


figure
noun
    1. The form of anything in outline.
      Thesaurus: form, shape, configuration, mass, structure.
    2. A symbol representing a number; a numeral.
      Thesaurus: numeral, digit.
    3. A number representing an amount; a cost or price.
      Example: He quoted a figure of £50 to do the job
      Thesaurus: sum, total, number, amount.
    4. An indistinctly seen or unidentified person.
      Example: He saw a figure coming through the mist
      Thesaurus: body, shape, form, outline.
    5. A representation of the human form, especially in painting or sculpture.
    6. Arithmetical calculations; statistics.
      Form: figures
    7. A well-known person.
      Example: a public figure
    8. A specified impression that one makes by one's behaviour.
      Example: He cut a lonely figure walking down the street
    9. A diagram or illustration, especially in a text.
      Thesaurus: design, sketch, pattern, composition, drawing, illustration, depiction, diagram.
    10. The shape of one's body.
      Example: to have a good figure
    11. An image, design or pattern.
    12. A geometrical shape, formed from a combination of points, lines, curves or surfaces.
    13. music.
      A short distinctive series of notes in music.
    14. dancing, sport etc.15. A figure of speech.
verb figured, figuring
    (N Amer)
    1. To think; to reckon.
      Thesaurus: decide, suppose, think, surmise, judge, infer, believe, opine.
    2. To imagine; to envisage.
    intr
    3. colloq
      To be probable or predictable; to make sense
      Example: That figures!
    4. To decorate (a surface) with a design; to add elaborations to (music).
Idiom: keep one's figure
    To remain slim.
Idiom: lose one's figure
    To become fat.
Etymology: 13c: from Latin figura, from fingere to mould.

Phrasal Verb: figure in something
    To play a part in a story, incident, etc.
Phrasal Verb: figure on something
    To intend to do it.
Phrasal Verb: figure someone out
    To understand how they are thinking or what their motivation is for something.
      Example: At last I've figured him out
Phrasal Verb: figure something out
    To work it out; to begin to understand it.


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