form (fôrm)n.1. a. The shape and structure of an object. b. The body or outward appearance of a person or an animal considered separately from the face or head; figure. 2. a. The essence of something. b. The mode in which a thing exists, acts, or manifests itself; kind: a form of animal life; a form of blackmail. 3. a. Procedure as determined or governed by regulation or custom. b. A fixed order of words or procedures, as for use in a ceremony; a formula. 4. A document with blanks for the insertion of details or information: insurance forms. 5. a. Manners or conduct as governed by etiquette, decorum, or custom. b. Behavior according to a fixed or accepted standard: Tardiness is considered bad form. c. Performance considered with regard to acknowledged criteria: a good jump shooter having an unusual form. 6. a. Proven ability to perform: a musician at the top of her form. b. Fitness, as of an athlete or animal, with regard to health or training. c. The past performance of a racehorse. d. A racing form. 7. a. Method of arrangement or manner of coordinating elements in literary or musical composition or in organized discourse: presented my ideas in outline form; a treatise in the form of a dialogue. b. A particular type or example of such arrangement: The essay is a literary form. c. The design, structure, or pattern of a work of art: symphonic form. 8. a. A mold for the setting of concrete. b. A model of the human figure or part of it used for displaying clothes. c. A proportioned model that may be adjusted for fitting clothes. 9. A grade in a British secondary school or in some American private schools: the sixth form. 10. a. A linguistic form. b. The external aspect of words with regard to their inflections, pronunciation, or spelling. 11. a. Chiefly British A long seat; a bench. b. The resting place of a hare. 12. Botany A subdivision of a variety usually differing in one trivial characteristic, such as flower color. v. formed, form·ing, forms v.tr.1. a. To give form to; shape: form clay into figures. b. To develop in the mind; conceive: form an opinion. 2. a. To shape or mold (dough, for example) into a particular form. b. To arrange oneself in: Holding out his arms, the cheerleader formed a T. The acrobats formed a pyramid. c. To organize or arrange: The environmentalists formed their own party. d. To fashion, train, or develop by instruction or precept: form a child's mind. 3. To come to have; develop or acquire: form a habit. 4. To constitute or compose a usually basic element, part, or characteristic of. 5. a. To produce (a tense, for example) by inflection: form the pluperfect. b. To make (a word) by derivation or composition. 6. To put in order; arrange. v.intr.1. To become formed or shaped. 2. To come into being by taking form; arise. 3. To assume a specified form, shape, or pattern.
[Middle English forme, from Latin f rma.]
form a·bil i·ty n. forma·ble adj. Synonyms: form, figure, shape, configuration, contour, profile
These nouns refer to the external outline of a thing. Form is the outline and structure of a thing as opposed to its substance: a brooch in the form of a lovers' knot.
Figure refers usually to form as established by bounding or enclosing lines: The cube is a solid geometric figure.
Shape implies three-dimensional definition that indicates both outline and bulk or mass: "He faced her, a hooded and cloaked shape" Joseph Conrad.
Configuration stresses the pattern formed by the arrangement of parts within an outline: The map shows the configuration of North America, with its mountains, rivers, and plains.
Contour refers especially to the outline of a three-dimensional figure: I traced the contour of the bow with my finger.
Profile denotes the outline of something viewed against a background and especially the outline of the human face in side view: The police took a photograph of the mugger's profile. |
form Noun 1. the shape or appearance of something 2. a visible person or animal 3. the particular mode in which a thing or person appears: wood in the form of paper 4. a type or kind: abortion was widely used as a form of birth control 5. physical or mental condition 6. a printed document, esp. one with spaces in which to fill details or answers 7. the previous record of a horse, athlete, etc. 8. Brit slang a criminal record 9. Education chiefly Brit & NZ a group of children who are taught together 10. manners and etiquette: it is considered bad form not to wear a tie 11. the structure and arrangement of a work of art or piece of writing as distinguished from its content 12. a bench 13. a hare's nest 14. any of the various ways in which a word may be spelt or inflected Verb 1. to give shape to or take shape, esp. a particular shape 2. to come or bring into existence: glaciers dammed the valley bottoms with debris behind which lakes have formed 3. to make or construct or be made or constructed 4. to train or mould by instruction or example 5. to acquire or develop: they've formed this impression, we formed a bond 6. to be an element of: they had formed part of a special murder unit [Latin forma shape, model]
Formvariability of a chemical compound in which there is no variation in crystalline form. — allomeric, adj. the quality of being shapeless. Also, Rare. amorphy. — amorphic, adj. a distorted image of an object, as in anamorphic art. Also anamorphosis. — anamorphic, adj. a cylindrical mirror for correcting the distorted image created by anamorphism. anamorphism. the state of being in the form of an X. See also joining. Physical Geography. the study of the characteristics, origins, and development of land forms. — geomorphologist, n. — geomorphologic, geomorphological, adj. the state or condition of being curved, especially convexly. — gibbous, adj. any minor malformation. 1. the quality of differing in form from the standard or norm.
2. the condition of existing in different forms at different stages of development, as certain insects. — heteromorphic, adj. the state or quality of having a peculiar or characteristic form; uniqueness or individuality in form. — idiomorphic, adj. the state of having no material body or form. — incorporeity, n. the origin(s) of the various aspects of the form of an organism. Also called morphogeny. — morphogenetic, adj. the scientific description of form. — morphographer, n. — morphographic, adj. 1. the study of the form or structure of anything.
2. the branch of biology that studies the form and structure of plants and animals. See also geomorphology. — morphologist, n. — morphologic, morphological, adj. the process or technique of measuring the external form of an object. — morphometrical, adj. the study of the laws governing form in nature. — morphonomic, adj. the study of the phylogeny of forms. the state or quality of having every form. — omniform, adj. the state or quality of being right-angled or perpendicular. — orthogonal, adj. 1. the phase in the development of an organism in which its form and structure pass through the changes undergone in the evolution of the species.
2. the morphological and structural changes that occur during insect development. Also palingenesia, palingenesy. — palingenetic, adj. the branch of morphology that studies the forms of organisms from a mathematical point of view. — promorphologist, n. — promorphological adj. the form, disposition, or outline of a thing or concept. — schematist, n. a branch of morphology that regards an organism as made up of other organisms. — tectological, adj. the property of displaying four different forms. — tetramorph, n. — tetramorphic, adj. the state or quality of occurring in three distinct forms, usually at different stages of development, as certain plants, organisms, etc. — trimorphic, trimorphous, adj.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | form - the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something; "the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached"word - a unit of language that native speakers can identify; "words are the blocks from which sentences are made"; "he hardly said ten words all morning" ghost word - a word form that has entered the language through the perpetuation of an error etymon, root - a simple form inferred as the common basis from which related words in several languages can be derived by linguistic processes acronym - a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name | | 2. |  form - a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality; "sculpture is a form of art"; "what kinds of desserts are there?"category - a general concept that marks divisions or coordinations in a conceptual scheme description - sort or variety; "every description of book was there" type - a subdivision of a particular kind of thing; "what type of sculpture do you prefer?" antitype - an opposite or contrasting type art form - (architecture) a form of artistic expression (such as writing or painting or architecture) style - a particular kind (as to appearance); "this style of shoe is in demand" colour, color - (physics) the characteristic of quarks that determines their role in the strong interaction; "each flavor of quarks comes in three colors" species - a specific kind of something; "a species of molecule"; "a species of villainy" genus - a general kind of something; "ignore the genus communism" make, brand - a recognizable kind; "there's a new brand of hero in the movies now"; "what make of car is that?" genre - a kind of literary or artistic work ilk, like - a kind of person; "We'll not see his like again"; "I can't tolerate people of his ilk" manner - a kind; "what manner of man are you?" model - a type of product; "his car was an old model" stripe - a kind or category; "businessmen of every stripe joined in opposition to the proposal" like, the like, the likes of - a similar kind; "dogs, foxes, and the like", "we don't want the likes of you around here" | | 3. |  form - a perceptual structure; "the composition presents problems for students of musical form"; "a visual pattern must include not only objects but the spaces between them"structure - the complex composition of knowledge as elements and their combinations; "his lectures have no structure" fractal - (mathematics) a geometric pattern that is repeated at every scale and so cannot be represented by classical geometry gestalt - a configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that it cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts grid - a pattern of regularly spaced horizontal and vertical lines kaleidoscope - a complex pattern of constantly changing colors and shapes mosaic - a pattern resembling a mosaic strand - a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole; "he tried to pick up the strands of his former life"; "I could hear several melodic strands simultaneously" | | 4. |  form - any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline); "he could barely make out their shapes"bluntness, dullness - without sharpness or clearness of edge or point; "the dullness of the pencil made his writing illegible" topography - the configuration of a surface and the relations among its man-made and natural features angularity - the property possessed by a shape that has angles curvature, curve - the property possessed by the curving of a line or surface roundness - the property possessed by a line or surface that is curved and not angular straightness - freedom from crooks or curves or bends or angles crookedness - having or distinguished by crooks or curves or bends or angles | | 5. |  form - alternative names for the body of a human being; "Leonardo studied the human body"; "he has a strong physique"; "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak"chassis, human body, material body, physical body, bod, build, anatomy, physique, figure, flesh, frame, shape, soma human, human being, homo, man - any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage person - a human body (usually including the clothing); "a weapon was hidden on his person" | | 6. | form - the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance; "geometry is the mathematical science of shape"attribute - an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity solid - a three-dimensional shape plane, sheet - (mathematics) an unbounded two-dimensional shape; "we will refer to the plane of the graph as the X-Y plane"; "any line joining two points on a plane lies wholly on that plane" flare, flair - a shape that spreads outward; "the skirt had a wide flare" figure - a combination of points and lines and planes that form a visible palpable shape line - a length (straight or curved) without breadth or thickness; the trace of a moving point round shape - a shape that is curved and without sharp angles circle - something approximating the shape of a circle; "the chairs were arranged in a circle" square - something approximating the shape of a square triangle - something approximating the shape of a triangle; "the coastline of Chile and Argentina and Brazil forms two legs of a triangle" pillar, tower, column - anything that approximates the shape of a column or tower; "the test tube held a column of white powder"; "a tower of dust rose above the horizon"; "a thin pillar of smoke betrayed their campsite" plume - anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness; "a plume of smoke"; "grass with large plumes" | | 7. | form - the visual appearance of something or someone; "the delicate cast of his features" | | 8. | form - a printed document with spaces in which to write; "he filled out his tax form"questionnaire - a form containing a set of questions; submitted to people to gain statistical information tax form - a form to use when paying your taxes | | 9. | form - (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups; "a new strain of microorganisms"species - (biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed | | 10. | form - an arrangement of the elements in a composition or discourse; "the essay was in the form of a dialogue"; "he first sketches the plot in outline form" | | 11. | form - a particular mode in which something is manifested; "his resentment took the form of extreme hostility"fashion, manner, mode, style, way - how something is done or how it happens; "her dignified manner"; "his rapid manner of talking"; "their nomadic mode of existence"; "in the characteristic New York style"; "a lonely way of life"; "in an abrasive fashion" | | 12. | form - (physical chemistry) a distinct state of matter in a system; matter that is identical in chemical composition and physical state and separated from other material by the phase boundary; "the reaction occurs in the liquid phase of the system"physical chemistry - the branch of chemistry dealing with the physical properties of chemical substances state of matter, state - (chemistry) the three traditional states of matter are solids (fixed shape and volume) and liquids (fixed volume and shaped by the container) and gases (filling the container); "the solid state of water is called ice" | | 13. |  form - a body of students who are taught together; "early morning classes are always sleepy"master class - a class (especially in music) given to talented students by an expert discussion section, section - a small class of students who are part of a larger course but are taught separately; "a graduate student taught sections for the professor's lecture course" | | 14. | form - an ability to perform well; "he was at the top of his form"; "the team was off form last night"ability - the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment | | 15. | form - a life-size dummy used to display clothesdummy - a figure representing the human form | | 16. | form - a mold for setting concrete; "they built elaborate forms for pouring the foundation"cast, mold, mould - container into which liquid is poured to create a given shape when it hardens | | Verb | 1. | form - create (as an entity); "social groups form everywhere"; "They formed a company"create, make - make or cause to be or to become; "make a mess in one's office"; "create a furor" draw up - form or arrange in order or formation, as of a body of soldiers regiment - form (military personnel) into a regiment syndicate - organize into or form a syndicate | | 2. | form - to compose or represent:"This wall forms the background of the stage setting"; "The branches made a roof"; "This makes a fine introduction"constitute, make up, comprise, be, represent - form or compose; "This money is my only income"; "The stone wall was the backdrop for the performance"; "These constitute my entire belonging"; "The children made up the chorus"; "This sum represents my entire income for a year"; "These few men comprise his entire army" chelate - form a chelate, in chemistry add - constitute an addition; "This paper will add to her reputation" | | 3. | form - develop into a distinctive entity; "our plans began to take shape"become - come into existence; "What becomes has duration" | | 4. | form - give shape or form to; "shape the dough"; "form the young child's character"alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" individuate - give individual shape or form to; "Language that individuates his memories" tie - form a knot or bow in; "tie a necktie" terrace - make into terraces as for cultivation; "The Incas terraced their mountainous land" fork - shape like a fork; "She forked her fingers" tabulate - shape or cut with a flat surface dimension - shape or form to required dimensions roll - shape by rolling; "roll a cigarette" draw - flatten, stretch, or mold metal or glass, by rolling or by pulling it through a die or by stretching; "draw steel" strike - cause to form (an electric arc) between electrodes of an arc lamp; "strike an arc" twist - form into twists; "Twist the strips of dough" sliver - form into slivers; "sliver wood" ridge - form into a ridge plume - form a plume; "The chimneys were pluming the sky"; "The engine was pluming black smoke" scollop, scallop - shape or cut in scallops; "scallop the hem of the dress" square, square up - make square; "Square the circle"; "square the wood with a file" dish - make concave; shape like a dish fit - make fit; "fit a dress"; "He fitted other pieces of paper to his cut-out" flatten - make flat or flatter; "flatten a road"; "flatten your stomach with these exercises" deform, distort, strain - alter the shape of (something) by stress; "His body was deformed by leprosy" blow - shape by blowing; "Blow a glass vase" block - shape into a block or blocks; "block the graphs so one can see the results clearly" block - shape by using a block; "Block a hat"; "block a garment" cup - form into the shape of a cup; "She cupped her hands" turn - shape by rotating on a lathe or cutting device or a wheel; "turn the legs of the table"; "turn the clay on the wheel" | | 5. | form - make something, usually for a specific function; "She molded the rice balls carefully"; "Form cylinders from the dough"; "shape a figure"; "Work the metal into a sword"carve - form by carving; "Carve a flower from the ice" chip - form by chipping; "They chipped their names in the stone" layer - make or form a layer; "layer the different colored sands" cut out - form and create by cutting out; "Picasso cut out a guitar from a piece of paper" machine - turn, shape, mold, or otherwise finish by machinery grind - shape or form by grinding; "grind lenses for glasses and cameras" stamp - form or cut out with a mold, form, or die; "stamp needles" puddle - subject to puddling or form by puddling; "puddle iron" beat - shape by beating; "beat swords into ploughshares" preform - form or shape beforehand or determine the shape of beforehand preform - form into a shape resembling the final, desired one mound - form into a rounded elevation; "mound earth" sinter - cause (ores or powdery metals) to become a coherent mass by heating without melting mould, mold, cast - form by pouring (e.g., wax or hot metal) into a cast or mold; "cast a bronze sculpture" throw - make on a potter's wheel; "she threw a beautiful teapot" work on, work, process - shape, form, or improve a material; "work stone into tools"; "process iron"; "work the metal" sculpt, sculpture - create by shaping stone or wood or any other hard material; "sculpt a swan out of a block of ice" | | 6. | form - establish or impress firmly in the mind; "We imprint our ideas onto our children"act upon, influence, work - have and exert influence or effect; "The artist's work influenced the young painter"; "She worked on her friends to support the political candidate" | | 7. | form - assume a form or shape; "the water formed little beads"change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" culminate - rise to, or form, a summit; "The helmet culminated in a crest" brecciate - form into breccia; "brecciated rock" flake - form into flakes; "The substances started to flake" head - form a head or come or grow to a head; "The wheat headed early this year" bead - form into beads, as of water or sweat, for example |
form noun 1. type, sort, kind, variety, way, system, order, class, style, practice, method, species, manner, stamp, description noun 2. shape, formation, configuration, construction, cut, model, fashion, structure, pattern, cast, appearance, stamp, mould noun 3. structure, plan, order, organization, arrangement, construction, proportion, format, framework, harmony, symmetry, orderliness noun 4. build, being, body, figure, shape, frame, outline, anatomy, silhouette, physique, person noun 7. procedure, behaviour, manners, etiquette, use, rule, conduct, ceremony, custom, convention, ritual, done thing, usage, protocol, formality, wont, right practice, kawa N.Z. tikanga N.Z. verb 11. make, produce, model, fashion, build, create, shape, manufacture, stamp, construct, assemble, forge, mould, fabricate verb 14. take shape, grow, develop, materialize, rise, appear, settle, show up ( informal) accumulate, come into being, crystallize, become visible verb 17. train, develop, shape, mould, school, teach, guide, discipline, rear, educate, bring up, instruct  Translations form [fɔːm] n → forma; vt → formar; in the form of → en forma de; in top form → en plena forma; to be in good form ( SPORT) ( fig) → estar en plena forma; to form a circle/a queue → hacer una curva/una cola
 form [fɔːm] n → forme f; ( Scol) → classe f (= questionnaire); formulaire min the form of → sous forme de; to be on good form ( Sport) ( fig); être en forme; on top form → en pleine forme
 form [fɔːm] n → Form f; (questionnaire) → Formular nt ( queue, organization, group) → bilden; in the form of → in Form von or +gen; to be in good form → gut in Form sein; on form → in Form;
 form [fɔːm] n → forma; vt → formare [+ circle, queue etc]; fare; in the form of → a forma di, sotto forma di; to be in good form ( SPORT), ( fig) → essere in forma; in top form → in gran forma; to form part of sth → far parte di qc
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