INDEX:
1. the shape of something or someone
2. having a particular shape
3. having a strange or wrong shape
4. having no clear or exact shape
5. having a regular shape
6. having a shape that is not regular
RELATED WORDS
see also
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1. the shape of something or someone
▷ shape /ʃeɪp/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the shape that something is, for example a square, a circle etc :
▪ You can get pasta in lots of different shapes.
▪ What shape is the swimming pool?
▪ The fruits are similar in shape and size to plums.
▪ The desks form a U-shape, so that the teacher can interact easily with the students.
▪ The pool was custom built, it is an unusual shape.
▪ If a mole changes color or shape, see a doctor.
▷ form /fɔːʳm/ [countable noun]
the shape of something - use this especially to talk about art or when the shape is not very clear :
▪ Sleeping forms lay in groups and rows on the earth floor.
▪ The painting consists of a series of interlocking forms.
▷ figure /ˈfɪgəʳǁˈfɪgjər/ [countable noun]
the shape of a person :
▪ There were figures painted on the walls of the cave.
▪ Dark figures emerged from the building, and disappeared into the night.
figure of
▪ I saw the figure of a woman below the bridge.
▷ silhouette /ˌsɪluˈet/ [countable noun]
the dark shape of something or someone seen against a bright background :
▪ The trees were silhouettes in the morning fog.
silhouette of
▪ I saw the silhouette of someone waiting under the streetlight.
▷ profile /ˈprəʊfaɪl/ [countable noun]
the shape of someone’s face when seen from the side :
▪ an artist’s sketch of McMillan’s profile
▪ He sat by the window, his handsome profile outlined against the sky.
in profile
▪ They showed her a photo of a young brunette, taken in profile.
▷ outline /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ [countable noun]
a line around the edge of something that shows its shape :
outline of
▪ The outline of a footprint was visible in the snow.
▪ On the envelopes had been stamped the outlines of Santa Claus, holly, and a reindeer.
▷ contour /ˈkɒntʊəʳǁˈkɑːn-/ [countable noun]
the outer shape of something, that has a lot of curves, especially an area of land or a person’s body :
▪ The seat is adjustable to fit the contours of your back.
▪ A topographical map shows the contours of the earth’s surface.
▷ lines /laɪnz/ [plural noun]
the outer shape of something long or tall, especially something that looks very graceful or attractive :
▪ The dress’s flowing lines are attractive on most women.
lines of
▪ He noticed the long, slim lines of her legs beneath the colorful cotton skirt.
2. having a particular shape
▷ be round/square/rectangular etc /biː ˈraʊnd/ [verb phrase]
use this to say what shape something is :
▪ The windows were round, like the windows on a ship.
▪ ‘What shape is the table?’ ‘It’s long and rectangular.’
be round/square etc in shape
▪ There was another building, octagonal in shape, close by.
▷ shaped /ʃeɪpt/ [adjective]
use this to say that something has the same shape as something else :
star-shaped/heart-shaped/L-shaped etc
▪ He gave me a necklace with a heart-shaped locket.
▪ Gus lived in an apartment in a U-shaped courtyard.
shaped like
▪ On the table were salt and pepper shakers shaped like teddy bears.
▷ in the shape of something /ɪn ðə ˈʃeɪp əv something/ [preposition]
use this to say that something has the same shape as something else :
▪ a beautiful blue bowl in the shape of a flower
▪ There was a big chocolate cake in the shape of a heart on the main table.
3. having a strange or wrong shape
▷ deformed /dɪˈfɔːʳmd/ [adjective]
something that is deformed, especially part of a living thing, has the wrong shape, usually because it has grown or developed wrongly :
▪ She had survived polio, but her right leg was weak and deformed.
▪ The desert plants were strange deformed bushes with bizarrely twisted branches.
deformity [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ The drug was shown to cause deformity in a high proportion of babies born to mothers taking it.
▷ distorted /dɪˈstɔːʳtɪd, dɪˈstɔːʳtəd/ [adjective]
something that is distorted has been twisted out of its correct or original shape :
▪ As a result of the crash, the remains of the vehicles were distorted out of all recognition.
▪ After treatment, her distorted hip had straightened, so that her legs were the same length.
▷ misshapen /ˌmɪsˈʃeɪpən, mɪˈʃeɪ-/ [adjective]
having the wrong shape, usually because of growing that way over a long period of time :
▪ The old woman’s fingers were misshapen and useless.
▪ Misshapen carrots and potatoes were fed to the pigs.
▷ lopsided /ˌlɒpˈsaɪdɪd◂, ˌlɒpˈsaɪdəd◂ǁˌlɑːp-/ [adjective]
something that is lopsided does not have the same shape on each side, for example because one side is higher than the other :
▪ She gave me a lopsided smile.
▪ a note written in a child’s lopsided handwriting
▪ His whole face was lopsided, one cheek badly scarred.
▷ lose its shape /ˌluːz ɪts ˈʃeɪp/ [verb phrase] especially British
if something such as a hat, coat, or skirt loses its shape, it becomes the wrong shape because it has been worn a lot :
▪ His battered old hat had completely lost its shape.
▪ She was wearing an old jumper that had lost its shape.
4. having no clear or exact shape
▷ shapeless /ˈʃeɪpləs/ [adjective]
something, especially a piece of clothing, that is shapeless has no clear or definite shape, and often looks unattractive :
▪ He was wearing a shapeless grey coat which really did not fit him.
▪ People trudged on, carrying shapeless bundles full of clothes or bedding.
▷ amorphous /əˈmɔːʳfəs/ [adjective] formal
having no definite shape that can be described or recognized because everything you can see is unclear or is mixed together :
▪ The molten rock hardens into amorphous forms.
▪ In her later works, large, amorphous shapes seem to float on the canvas.
5. having a regular shape
▷ regular /ˈregjɑləʳ/ [adjective]
evenly shaped with parts or sides of equal size :
▪ Draw a regular hexagon with 90 mm sides.
▪ She was attractive rather than beautiful, with regular features and dark hair.
▷ symmetrical /sɪˈmetrɪk ə l/ [adjective]
if something is symmetrical, its two halves, on either side of a central line, are exactly alike :
▪ The leaves of most trees are symmetrical in shape.
▪ Palladio built the Villa Rotunda following a symmetrical plan.
symmetry /ˈsɪmɪtri, ˈsɪmətri/ [uncountable noun]
▪ the delicate symmetry of a snowflake
6. having a shape that is not regular
▷ irregular /ɪˈregjɑləʳ/ [adjective]
unevenly shaped with parts or sides of unequal size :
▪ Lake Powell’s irregular coastline has many unspoiled beaches and secluded inlets.
▪ I recognized the doctor’s messy, irregular handwriting.
irregularly [adjective]
▪ a large, irregularly shaped room
▷ asymmetrical /ˌeɪsɪˈmetrɪk ə l, ˌeɪsəˈmetrɪk ə l/ [adjective]
if something is asymmetrical, one half of it is not the same as the other - used in formal and technical contexts :
▪ The design of the house is consciously asymmetrical with a large tower at one end.