n.
Pronunciation: ' fi-gy ə r, Brit & often US ' fi-g ə r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin figura, from fingere
Date: 13th century
1 a : a number symbol : NUMERAL , DIGIT b plural : arithmetical calculations <good at figure s > c : a written or printed character d : value especially as expressed in numbers : SUM , PRICE <sold at a low figure > e plural : digits representing an amount (as of money earned or points scored) <made six figure s last year> <a score in double figure s >
2 a : a geometric form (as a line, triangle, or sphere) especially when considered as a set of geometric elements (as points) in space of a given number of dimensions <a square is a plane figure > b : bodily shape or form especially of a person <a slender figure > c : an object noticeable only as a shape or form < figure s moving in the dusk>
3 a : the graphic representation of a form especially of a person or geometric entity b : a diagram or pictorial illustration of textual matter
4 : a person, thing, or action representative of another
5 a : FIGURE OF SPEECH b : an intentional deviation from the ordinary form or syntactical relation of words
6 : the form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term
7 : an often repetitive pattern or design in a manufactured article (as cloth) or natural product (as wood) <a polka-dot figure >
8 : appearance made : impression produced <the couple cut quite a figure >
9 a : a series of movements in a dance b : an outline representation of a form traced by a series of evolutions (as with skates on an ice surface or by an airplane in the air)
10 : a prominent personality : PERSONAGE <great figure s of history>
11 : a short coherent group of notes or chords that may constitute part of a phrase, theme, or composition