FORM

shape, form

(noun) the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance; “geometry is the mathematical science of shape”

form

(noun) a mold for setting concrete; “they built elaborate forms for pouring the foundation”

mannequin, manikin, mannikin, manakin, form

(noun) a life-size dummy used to display clothes

form, shape, cast

(noun) the visual appearance of something or someone; “the delicate cast of his features”

form

(noun) a particular mode in which something is manifested; “his resentment took the form of extreme hostility”

shape, form, configuration, contour, conformation

(noun) any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline); “he could barely make out their shapes”

form

(noun) an ability to perform well; “he was at the top of his form”; “the team was off form last night”

kind, sort, form, variety

(noun) a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality; “sculpture is a form of art”; “what kinds of desserts are there?”

form, shape, pattern

(noun) a perceptual structure; “the composition presents problems for students of musical form”; “a visual pattern must include not only objects but the spaces between them”

form, word form, signifier, descriptor

(noun) the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something; “the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached”

form

(noun) a printed document with spaces in which to write; “he filled out his tax form”

form

(noun) an arrangement of the elements in a composition or discourse; “the essay was in the form of a dialogue”; “he first sketches the plot in outline form”

form, variant, strain, var.

(noun) (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups; “a new strain of microorganisms”

class, form, grade, course

(noun) a body of students who are taught together; “early morning classes are always sleepy”

phase, form

(noun) (physical chemistry) a distinct state of matter in a system; matter that is identical in chemical composition and physical state and separated from other material by the phase boundary; “the reaction occurs in the liquid phase of the system”

shape, form

(verb) give shape or form to; “shape the dough”; “form the young child’s character”

form

(verb) assume a form or shape; “the water formed little beads”

shape, form, work, mold, mould, forge

(verb) make something, usually for a specific function; “She molded the rice balls carefully”; “Form cylinders from the dough”; “shape a figure”; “Work the metal into a sword”

imprint, form

(verb) establish or impress firmly in the mind; “We imprint our ideas onto our children”

form, organize, organise

(verb) create (as an entity); “social groups form everywhere”; “They formed a company”

form, constitute, make

(verb) to compose or represent; “This wall forms the background of the stage setting”; “The branches made a roof”; “This makes a fine introduction”

form, take form, take shape, spring

(verb) develop into a distinctive entity; “our plans began to take shape”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

form (countable and uncountable, plural forms)

(heading, physical) To do with shape.

The shape or visible structure of a thing or person.

A thing that gives shape to other things as in a mold.

Regularity, beauty, or elegance.

(philosophy) The inherent nature of an object; that which the mind itself contributes as the condition of knowing; that in which the essence of a thing consists.

Characteristics not involving atomic components.

(dated) A long bench with no back.

(fine arts) The boundary line of a material object. In painting, more generally, the human body.

(crystallography) The combination of planes included under a general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a closed solid.

(social) To do with structure or procedure.

An order of doing things, as in religious ritual.

Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula.

Constitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.; system.

Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality; formality.

(archaic) A class or rank in society.

(UK) A criminal record; loosely, past history (in a given area).

(UK, education) A class or year of school pupils (often preceded by an ordinal number to specify the year, as in sixth form).

A blank document or template to be filled in by the user.

A specimen document to be copied or imitated.

Level of performance.

(grammar) A grouping of words which maintain grammatical context in different usages; the particular shape or structure of a word or part of speech.

The den or home of a hare.

(computing, programming) A window or dialogue box.

(taxonomy) An infraspecific rank.

(printing, dated) The type or other matter from which an impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a chase.

(geometry) A quantic.

(sports, fitness) A specific way of performing a movement.

Synonyms

• (visible structure of a thing or person): shape; see also shape

(visible structure of a person): figure; see also physique

• (thing that gives shape to other things): cast, cookie cutter, mold, pattern

• (mode of construction): configuration, makeup; see also composition

• (blank document): formular

• (pre-collegiate level): grade

• (biology): f.

Verb

form (third-person singular simple present forms, present participle forming, simple past and past participle formed)

(transitive) To assume (a certain shape or visible structure).

(transitive) To give (a shape or visible structure) to a thing or person.

(intransitive) To take shape.

To put together or bring into being; assemble.

(transitive, linguistics) To create (a word) by inflection or derivation.

(transitive) To constitute, to compose, to make up.

To mould or model by instruction or discipline.

To provide (a hare) with a form.

(electrical, historical, transitive) To treat (plates) to prepare them for introduction into a storage battery, causing one plate to be composed more or less of spongy lead, and the other of lead peroxide. This was formerly done by repeated slow alternations of the charging current, but later the plates or grids were coated or filled, one with a paste of red lead and the other with litharge, introduced into the cell, and formed by a direct charging current.

Synonyms

• (give shape): beshape, transmogrify; see also form

• (take shape): take form, take shape; see also come into being

• (constitute): compose, make up; see also compose

Anagrams

• MoRF, from

Noun

FORM (uncountable)

Acronym of family, occupation, recreation, motivation: a set of potential topics of conversation for use by salespeople etc.

Anagrams

• MoRF, from

Source: Wiktionary


form (. Etym: [See Form, n.]

Definition: A suffix used to denote in the form or shape of, resembling, etc.; as, valiform; oviform.

Form (form; in senses 8 & 9, often form in England), n. Etym: [OE. & F. forme, fr. L. forma; cf. Skr. dhariman. Cf. Firm.]

1. The shape and structure of anything, as distinguished from the material of which it is composed; particular disposition or arrangement of matter, giving it individuality or distinctive character; configuration; figure; external appearance. The form of his visage was changed. Dan. iii. 19. And woven close close, both matter, form, and style. Milton.

2. Constitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.; system; as, a republican form of government.

3. Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula; as, a form of prayer. Those whom form of laws Condemned to die. Dryden.

4. Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality; formality; as, a matter of mere form. Though well we may not pass upon his life Without the form of justice. Shak.

5. Orderly arrangement; shapeliness; also, comeliness; elegance; beauty. The earth was without form and void. Gen. i. 2. He hath no form nor comeliness. Is. liii. 2.

6. A shape; an image; a phantom.

7. That by which shape is given or determined; mold; pattern; model.

8. A long seat; a bench; hence, a rank of students in a school; a class; also, a class or rank in society. "Ladies of a high form." Bp. Burnet.

9. The seat or bed of a hare. As in a form sitteth a weary hare. Chaucer.

10. (Print.)

Definition: The type or other matter from which an impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a chase.

11. (Fine Arts)

Definition: The boundary line of a material object. In painting, more generally, the human body.

12. (Gram.)

Definition: The particular shape or structure of a word or part of speech; as, participial forms; verbal forms.

13. (Crystallog.)

Definition: The combination of planes included under a general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a closed solid.

14. (Metaph.)

Definition: That assemblage or disposition of qualities which makes a conception, or that internal constitution which makes an existing thing to be what it is; -- called essential or substantial form, and contradistinguished from matter; hence, active or formative nature; law of being or activity; subjectively viewed, an idea; objectively, a law.

15. Mode of acting or manifestation to the senses, or the intellect; as, water assumes the form of ice or snow. In modern usage, the elements of a conception furnished by the mind's own activity, as contrasted with its object or condition, which is called the matter; subjectively, a mode of apprehension or belief conceived as dependent on the constitution of the mind; objectively, universal and necessary accompaniments or elements of every object known or thought of.

16. (Biol.)

Definition: The peculiar characteristics of an organism as a type of others; also, the structure of the parts of an animal or plant.

Good form or Bad form, the general appearance, condition or action, originally of horses, atterwards of persons; as, the members of a boat crew are said to be in good form when they pull together uniformly. The phrases are further used colloquially in description of conduct or manners in society; as, it is not good form to smoke in the presence of a lady.

Form, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Formed; p. pr. & vb. n. Forming.] Etym: [F. former, L. formare, fr. forma. See Form, n.]

1. To give form or shape to; to frame; to construct; to make; to fashion. God formed man of the dust of the ground. Gen. ii. 7. The thought that labors in my forming brain. Rowe.

2. To give a particular shape to; to shape, mold, or fashion into a certain state or condition; to arrange; to adjust; also, to model by instruction and discipline; to mold by influence, etc.; to train. 'T is education forms the common mind. Pope. Thus formed for speed, he challenges the wind. Dryden.

3. To go to make up; to act as constituent of; to be the essential or constitutive elements of; to answer for; to make the shape of; -- said of that out of which anything is formed or constituted, in whole or in part. The diplomatic politicians . . . who formed by far the majority. Burke.

4. To provide with a form, as a hare. See Form, n., 9. The melancholy hare is formed in brakes and briers. Drayton.

5. (Gram.)

Definition: To derive by grammatical rules, as by adding the proper suffixes and affixes.

Form, v. i.

1. To take a form, definite shape, or arrangement; as, the infantry should form in column.

2. To run to a form, as a hare. B. Jonson. To form on (Mil.), to form a lengthened line with reference to (any given object) as a basis.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 March 2024

FAULTFINDING

(adjective) tending to make moral judgments or judgments based on personal opinions; “a counselor tries not to be faultfinding”


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Coffee Trivia

Hawaii and California are the only two U.S. states that grow coffee plants commercially.

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