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Figure   /fˈɪgjər/   Listen
noun
Figure  n.  
1.
The form of anything; shape; outline; appearance. "Flowers have all exquisite figures."
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."
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 surfaces; any arrangement made up of points, lines, angles, surfaces, etc.
5.
The appearance or impression made by the conduct or career of a person; as, a sorry figure. "I made some figure there." "Gentlemen of the best figure in the county."
6.
Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendor; show. "That he may live in figure and indulgence."
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."
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."
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. Also called a figure of speech. "To represent the imagination under the figure of a wing."
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.
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.
(b)
A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a musical phrase 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: 2/22/42/8 4/22/44/8 3/23/43/8 6/46/46/8
Academy figure, Canceled figures, Lay figure, etc. See under Academy, Cancel, Lay, etc.
Figure caster, or Figure flinger, an astrologer. "This figure caster."
Figure flinging, the practice of astrology.
Figure painting, a picture of the human figure, or the act or art of depicting the human figure.
Figure stone (Min.), agalmatolite.
Figure weaving, the art or process of weaving figured fabrics.
To cut a figure, to make a display. (Colloq.)


verb
Figure  v. t.  (past & past part. figured; pres. part. figuring)  
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."
3.
To indicate by numerals; also, to compute. "As through a crystal glass the figured hours are seen."
4.
To represent by a metaphor; to signify or symbolize. "Whose white vestments figure innocence."
5.
To prefigure; to foreshow. "In this the heaven figures some event."
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.


Figure  v. i.  
1.
To make a figure; to be distinguished or conspicious; as, the envoy figured at court. "Sociable, hospitable, eloquent, admired, figuring away brilliantly."
2.
To calculate; to contrive; to scheme; as, he is figuring to secure the nomination. (Colloq.)
go figure a phrase used by itself as an interjection to mean "How can one explain that?", or to express puzzlement over some seeming contradiction. (Colloq.)





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Figure" Quotes from Famous Books



... himself on the ground, and in a frantic moment thought self-destruction allowable. Before principle had time to allay this agony of acute feeling, a sob, that seemed to issue from a breaking heart, made him raise his head to see if there were any as wretched as himself. A pale war-worn figure stood beside him, leaning on a carbine; his hat drawn over his eyes, and his body wrapped in a tattered roquelaure. Eustace would have felt ashamed at yielding to such expressions of poignant distress before any observer, had not the more painful consideration ...
— The Loyalists, Vol. 1-3 - An Historical Novel • Jane West
... deputy. Never had the proprietor of Grandchaux looked so grave, so dignified, so majestic, so absorbed in deep reflection, as he looked standing beside a table covered with papers—papers, no doubt, all having relation to local interests, important to the public and to individuals. It was the very figure of a statesman destined to high dignities. No one who gazed on such a deputy could doubt that one day he ...
— Serge Panine • Georges Ohnet
... the third division of this circle, a region of burning sands, where hosts of naked souls lie on the ground, blistered and scathed by the rain of fire and vainly trying to lessen their pain by thrashing themselves with their hands. One figure, the mightiest among them, alone seems indifferent to the burning rain, and, when Dante inquires who this may be, Virgil returns it is Capaneus (one of the seven kings who besieged Thebes[17]), who, in his indomitable pride, taunted Jupiter and was ...
— The Book of the Epic • Helene A. Guerber
... agree that they can't possibly figure out the depth of the focus and state that the long waves have to pass through the epicenter or some such spot underground. Anyway, all the brass agrees that something is going on in inner space not according to Hoyle or Euclid or anybody else and that we three ...
— Operation Earthworm • Joe Archibald
... was like a gamer who risks all on a single throw, and his stake was to be the dowry of his bride, the game a tilt with the forces of the Borgia. If he won he came out covered with glory, and not only the saviour of his people and the champion of their liberty, but a glorious figure that all Italy—or, at least, that part of it that had known the iron heel of Valentino—should revere. Thus would he set himself right, and thus crush from their minds the memory of his rebellious cousin with whom ...
— Love-at-Arms • Raphael Sabatini


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