Fig"ure (?; 135), n. [F., figure, L. figura; akin to fingere to form, shape, feign. See [Feign].]

1.

The form of anything; shape; outline; appearance.

Flowers have all exquisite figures.
Bacon.

2.

The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modeling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body; as, a figure in bronze; a figure cut in marble.

A coin that bears the figure of an angel.
Shak.

3.

A pattern in cloth, paper, or other manufactured article; a design wrought out in a fabric; as, the muslin was of a pretty figure.

4. [Geometry|Geom.]

A diagram or drawing; made to represent a magnitude or the relation of two or more magnitudes; a surface or space inclosed on all sides; -- called superficial when inclosed by lines, and solid when inclosed by surface; any arrangement made up of points, lines, angles, surfaces, etc.

5.

The appearance or impression made by the conduct or carrer of a person; as, a sorry figure.

I made some figure there.
Dryden.

Gentlemen of the best figure in the county.
Blackstone.

6.

Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendor; show.

That he may live in figure and indulgence.
Law.

7.

A character or symbol representing a number; a numeral; a digit; as, 1, 2,3, etc.

8.

Value, as expressed in numbers; price; as, the goods are estimated or sold at a low figure.

[Colloq.]

With nineteen thousand a year at the very lowest figure.
Thackeray.

9.

A person, thing, or action, conceived of as analogous to another person, thing, or action, of which it thus becomes a type or representative.

Who is the figure of Him that was to come.
Rom. v. 14.

10. Rhet.

A mode of expressing abstract or immaterial ideas by words which suggest pictures or images from the physical world; pictorial language; a trope; hence, any deviation from the plainest form of statement.

To represent the imagination under the figure of a wing.
Macaulay.

11. [Logic]

The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term.

12. Dancing

Any one of the several regular steps or movements made by a dancer.

13. Astrol.

A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the astrological houses.

Johnson.

14. Music

Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords, which produce a single complete and distinct impression.
Grove.
A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a musical or motive; a florid embellishment.

⇒ Figures are often written upon the staff in music to denote the kind of measure. They are usually in the form of a fraction, the upper figure showing how many notes of the kind indicated by the lower are contained in one measure or bar. Thus, 2/4 signifies that the measure contains two quarter notes. The following are the principal figures used for this purpose: -- <-- the "figures" illustrated here have a bar through each number and cannot be represented as simple fractions, thus the special "musfig" field notation. The following numbers are contained in a single line of large (ca. 14 pt.) bold type -->

2/22/42/8 4/22/44/8 3/23/43/8 6/46/46/8

[Academy figure], [Canceled figures], [Lay figure], etc. See under [Academy], [Cancel], [Lay], etc. -- [Figure caster], ∨ [Figure flinger], an astrologer. This figure caster." Milton. -- [Figure flinging], the practice of astrology. -- [Figure-of-eight knot], a knot shaped like the figure 8. See Illust. under [Knot]. -- [Figure painting], a picture of the human figure, or the act or art of depicting the human figure. -- [Figure stone] [Mineralogy|Min.], agalmatolite. -- [Figure weaving], the art or process of weaving figured fabrics. -- [To cut a figure], to make a display. [Colloq.] Sir W. Scott.

© [Webster 1913].

Fig"ure, v. t. [imp. & p. p. [Figured] (?); p. pr. & vb. n. [Figuring].] [F. figurer, L. figurare, fr. figura. See [Figure], n.]

1.

To represent by a figure, as to form or mold; to make an image of, either palpable or ideal; also, to fashion into a determinate form; to shape.

If love, alas! be pain I bear,
No thought can figure, and no tongue declare.
Prior.

2.

To embellish with design; to adorn with figures.

The vaulty top of heaven
Figured quite o'er with burning meteors.
Shak.

3.

To indicate by numerals; also, to compute.

As through a crystal glass the figured hours are seen.
Dryden.

4.

To represent by a metaphor; to signify or symbolize.

Whose white vestments figure innocence.
Shak.

5.

To prefigure; to foreshow.

In this the heaven figures some event. Shak.

6. [Music|Mus.]

To write over or under the bass, as figures or other characters, in order to indicate the accompanying chords.
To embellish.

[To figure out], to solve; to compute or find the result of. -- [To figure up], to add; to reckon; to compute the amount of.

© [Webster 1913].

Fig"ure, v. t.

1.

To make a figure; to be distinguished or conspicious; as, the envoy figured at court.

Sociable, hospitable, eloquent, admired, figuring away brilliantly.
M. Arnold.

2.

To calculate; to contrive; to scheme; as, he is figuring to secure the nomination.

[Colloq.]

© [Webster 1913].

figure (definition)