SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

shapen

adjective shap·en \ ˈshā-pən \

Definition of shapen

: fashioned in or provided with a definite shape —usually used in combination

an ill-shapen body

Origin and Etymology of shapen

Middle English, from past participle of shapen to shape

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up shapen? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

homogeneous

play

of the same or a similar kind or nature

Words at Play

alt-5b06e60511014

'Deprived' vs. 'Depraved'

Nobody wants to be either.

alt-5b05d8545c817

'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

Tag the way you want to tag.

12 Words from All Over the Map

Some words say exactly where they're from

alt-5b032d1aef0e9

'Ingenious' and 'Ingenuous': More Than a Typo

One's clever, the other's like a child

Ask the Editors

video-ghost-words

Ghost Word

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary.

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-literally

Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

We’re already at the end of May?!

Take the quiz

Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

How familiar are you with Nabokov’s unfamiliar vocabulary?

Take the quiz

True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game