figure

Meanings

Noun

• A drawing or diagram conveying information.
• The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modelling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body.
• A person or thing representing a certain consciousness.
• The appearance or impression made by the conduct or career of a person.
• Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendour; show.
• A human figure, which dress or corset must fit to; the shape of a human body.
• A numeral.
• A number, an amount.
• A shape.
• A visible pattern as in wood or cloth.
• Any complex dance move^W.
• A figure of speech.
• The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term.
• A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the astrological houses.
• Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords, which produce a single complete and distinct impression.
• A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a motif; a florid embellishment.

Verb

• To calculate, to solve a mathematical problem.
• To come to understand.
• To think, to assume, to suppose, to reckon.
• To be reasonable.
• To enter into; to be a part of.
• 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.
• To embellish with design; to adorn with figures.
• To indicate by numerals.
• To represent by a metaphor; to signify or symbolize.
• To prefigure; to foreshow.
• To write over or under the bass, as figures or other characters, in order to indicate the accompanying chords.
• To embellish.

Origin

• From Middle English figure, borrowed from Old French figure, from Latin figūra ("form, shape, form of a word, a figure of speech, {{cog") a sketch, drawing}}, from fingō, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- ("to mold, shape, form, knead"). Cognate with Ancient Greek τεῖχος, Sanskrit देग्धि, Old English dāg ("dough"). More at dough. figura.