figure

/ˈfɪɡjə/FIG-yur
/ˈfɪɡjɚ/FIG-yur

Meaninga shape

Common meaning: a shape

Other meanings: a number

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√DHIGH‘smear, knead, mould, form’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 168, p. 736 · scan
  2. Latinfingō, fīnxī, fictum; figūra‘to shape, mould’
  3. Frenchfigure
  4. Middle Englishfiguresource
  5. Englishfigure‘a shape’ · today

fig also in: figmentfeigneffigyfiction

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin fingō ‘to shape, mould; to invent’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry fingō, p. 750 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

effigyfeignfictionfigment

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