shape

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) The status or condition of something
2. (countable, uncountable) Condition of personal health, especially muscular health.
3. (countable, uncountable) A graphical representation of an object's form or its external boundary, outline, or external surface.
4. (countable, uncountable) Form; formation.
5. (countable, uncountable) A rolled or hammered piece, such as a bar, beam, angle iron, etc., having a cross section different from merchant bar.
6. (countable, uncountable) A piece which has been roughly forged nearly to the form it will receive when completely forged or fitted.
7. (archaic, countable, uncountable) A mould for making blancmange, jelly, etc., or a piece of such food formed moulded into a particular shape.
8. (countable, uncountable) A loaded die.
9. (countable, uncountable) In the Hack programming language, a group of data fields each of which has a name and a data type.

Verb

1. (Northern-England, Scotland, rare) To create or make.
2. (transitive) To give something a shape and definition.
3. To form or manipulate something into a certain shape.
4. (person) To give influence to.
5. To suit; to be adjusted or conformable.
6. (obsolete) To imagine; to conceive.

Synonyms

form

figure

appearance

mold

mould

build

fashion

model

outline

make

style

physique

create

contour

frame

image

cut

body

configuration

look

structure

pattern

cast

face

human body

way

conformation

condition

feature

state

stature

forge

format

carve

influence

mould

formation

manner

mold

turn

work

anatomy

sculpture

silhouette

design

looks

knead

formative

contours

bod

Translations

forme

Form

forma

forma

Gestalt

formare

former

forma

vorm

formen

sagoma

forma

façonner

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʃeɪp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: shap

Inherited from Old English: ġesceap

Cognate with Middle Dutch: schap

Cognate with Middle High German: geschaf

Cognate with Icelandic: skap

Inherited from Middle English: shapen

Inherited from Old English: scieppan

Cognate with Dutch: scheppen

Cognate with German: schaffen

Cognate with Swedish: skapa

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: skape

In summary

From Middle English shap, schape, from Old English ġesceap (“shape, form, created being, creature, creation, dispensation, fate, condition, sex, gender, genitalia”), from Proto-West Germanic *ga- + *skap, from Proto-Germanic *ga- + *skapą (“shape, nature, condition”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kep- (“to split, cut”).
The verb is from Middle English shapen, schapen, from Old English scieppan (“to shape, form, make, create, assign, arrange, destine, order, adjudge”), from Proto-West Germanic *skappjan, from Proto-Germanic *skapjaną (“to create”), from the noun.
The noun is cognate with Middle Dutch schap (“form”), Middle High German geschaf (“creature”), Icelandic skap (“state, condition, temper, mood”). The verb is cognate with Dutch scheppen, German schaffen, Swedish skapa (“create, make”), Norwegian Bokmål skape (“create”). Doublet of -ship.

Sentences

The exact shape of the cavity is often dependent on how many lamps are used .

The resulting cloth is heavy and wrinkle-resistant, and retains its shape well .