Entry Word: figure

Function: noun

Meaning: 1 a character used to represent a mathematical value <no doubt the figures on the price tags at the jewelry store are so small because the zeroes are so many> — see number
2 a line that traces the outer limits of an object or surface <we could gradually see the figure of a ship coming our way through the fog> — see outline 1
3 a person who is widely known and usually much talked about <figures from the worlds of sport and entertainment will be guests at the White House dinner> — see celebrity 1
4 a small statue <painted wooden figures by untrained artists can be quite valuable on todayʼs antique market> — see figurine
5 a three-dimensional representation of the human body used especially for displaying clothes <the museum features a collection of figures strikingly attired in suits of medieval armor> — see mannequin 1
6 a unit of decoration that is repeated all over something (as a fabric) <upholstered the chair with a fabric embossed with figures of fleur-de-lis> — see pattern 1
7 something that visually explains or decorates a text <the layout editor could have done a better job of getting the figures on the same page as the portion of text they illustrate> — see illustration 1
8 the amount of money that is demanded as payment for something <a number of the paintings at the auction sold at figures far higher than had been estimated> — see price 1
9 the outward appearance of something as distinguished from its substance <the ice sculpture at the banquet was in the figure of an eagle spreading its wings> — see form 1
10 the type of body that a person has <Martha has such a slender figure that just about anything looks good on her> — see physique
11 figures pluralthe act or process of performing mathematical operations to find a value <a person with a good head for figures> — see calculation