Figure Definition
fĭgyər
figured, figures, figuring
noun
figures
A written or printed symbol representing something other than a letter, especially a number.
American Heritage
The outline or shape of something; form.
Webster's New World
A particular person's shape with respect to its physical attractiveness.
A woman with a good figure.
Webster's New World
The shape of the human body; human form.
Webster's New World
An indistinct human form.
Two figures seen from a distance.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
verb
figured, figures, figuring
To represent in definite form; give a shape to.
Webster's New World
To make a likeness of; depict.
American Heritage
To be a causal factor.
Poor food figured in his ill health.
Webster's New World
To represent mentally; imagine.
Webster's New World
To compute with figures.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
idiom
go figure
- Used in the imperative to indicate the unexpectedness or absurdity of something.
American Heritage
figure in
- to add in; include
Webster's New World
figure on
- to count on; rely on
- to consider as part of a scheme or project; plan on
Webster's New World
figure out
- to solve; compute
- to understand; reason out
Webster's New World
figure up
- to add; total
Webster's New World
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Figure
Origin of Figure
-
From Middle English figure, from Old French figure, from Latin figura (“form, shape, form of a word, a figure of speech, Late Latin a sketch, drawing”), from fingere (“to form, shape, mold, fashion”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- (“to mold, shape, form, knead”). Cognate with Ancient Greek τεῖχος (teikhos), Sanskrit देग्धि (degdhi), Old English dāg (“dough”). More at dough.
From Wiktionary
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Middle English from Old French from Latin figūra dheigh- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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