fig

fig.

fig

the hollow, pear-shaped false fruit (syconium) of the fig tree, with sweet, pulpy flesh containing numerous tiny, seedlike true fruits (achenes)
any of a genus (Ficus) of fig-bearing trees of the mulberry family, esp. any of the many cultivated varieties of a tree (F. carica) bearing edible figs
a trifling amount; little bit: not worth a fig
a gesture of contempt or disdain made as by placing the thumb between the first two fingers or under the upper teeth

Origin of fig

Middle English fige from Old French from Vulgar Latin an unverified form fica, for Classical Latin ficus, fig tree, fig

transitive verb

figged, fig′ging

to dress showily: with out or up

Origin of fig

altered from obsolete feague, to whip, polish; confused with the contr. for figure, probably from the use of this contracted form in reference to plates in books of fashions

dress; appearance
shape; condition

fig Idioms

in full fig

Informal completely dressed or outfitted, esp. in a showy manner

figurative
figuratively
figure(s)

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"fig." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 October 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/FIG>.

APA Style

fig. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16th, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/FIG

fig

noun

a. Any of various trees or shrubs of the genus Ficus, especially F. carica, native to the Mediterranean region and widely cultivated for its edible multiple fruit.
b. The sweet, hollow, pear-shaped, multiple fruit of this plant, having many tiny seedlike fruits.
a. Any of several plants bearing similar fruit.
b. The fruit of such a plant.
A trivial or contemptible amount: not worth a fig.

Origin of fig

Middle English from Old French figue from Old Provençal figa from Vulgar Latin fīca from Latin fīcus

fig1

common fig

Ficus carica

noun

Dress; array: in full fig.
Physical condition; shape: in fine fig.

Origin of fig

Perhaps from fig to trot out a horse in lively condition, dress up variant of feague to make a horse lively probably from Dutch vegen to brush from Middle Dutch vēghen

fig.

abbreviation

figurative
figuratively
figure

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"fig." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 October 2018. <http://www.yourdictionary.com/FIG>.

APA Style

fig. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16th, 2018, from http://www.yourdictionary.com/FIG

Noun

(plural figs)

A fruit-bearing tree or shrub of the genus Ficus that is native mainly to the tropics.
The fruit of the fig tree, pear-shaped and containing many small seeds.
A small piece of tobacco.
The value of a fig, practically nothing; a fico; a whit.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present figs, present participle figging, simple past and past participle figged)

(obsolete) To insult with a fico, or contemptuous motion.
(obsolete) To put into the head of, as something useless or contemptible.

Origin

From Middle English fige, fygge (also fyke, from Old English fīc, see fike), from Anglo-Norman figue, from Old Provençal figa, from Vulgar Latin fīca (“fig”), from Latin fīcus (“fig tree”), from a pre-Indo European language, perhaps Phoenician [script?] (pagh, “ripe fig”) (compare Classical Hebrew פַּגָּה (paggâ, “early fallen fig”), Classical Syriac ܦܓܐ (paggāʾ), dialectal Arabic - (faġġ), [script?] (fiġġ)).

Another Semitic root (compare Akkadian [script?] (tīʾu, “fig”)) was borrowed into Ancient Greek as σῦκον (sỹkon) (Boeotian τῦκον (tỹkon)) and Armenian as թուզ (tʿuz); whence English sycophant.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present figs, present participle figging, simple past and past participle figged)