I. ˈfi-gyər, Britain & often US ˈfi-gər 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
II. verb
( fig·ured ; fig·ur·ing ˈfi-gyə-riŋ, ˈfi-g(ə-)riŋ)
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. : to represent by or as if by a figure or outline
2. : to decorate with a pattern ; also : to write figures over or under (the bass) in order to indicate the accompanying chords
3. : to indicate or represent by numerals
4.
a. : calculate
b. : conclude , decide
figured there was no use in further effort
also : assume
figure it will rain
c. : regard , consider
d. : to appear likely
figure s to win
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to be or appear important or conspicuous
b. : to be involved or implicated
figured in a robbery
2. : to perform a figure in dancing
3. : compute , calculate
4. : to seem rational, normal, or expected
that figure s
5. : to make sense of something — used interjectionally in the phrase go figure to suggest that something is surprising or perplexing
why do they think women will buy this lie? Go figure — Ellen Bravo
• fig·ur·er -g(y)ər-ər noun
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- figure on