stick figure

noun

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of stick figure

1 : a drawing showing the head of a human being or animal as a circle and all other parts as straight lines

2 : a fictional character lacking depth and believability

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Recent Examples of stick figure from the Web

But no—these tights were apparently made for a cartoon stick figure with lines instead of limbs.

— chloe metzger, Marie Claire, "Yes, I Actually Bought Those Sketchy No-Rip Tights You Keep Seeing on Instagram," 1 May 2018
To the other side of the entrance stands a futuristic wooden stick figure by the artist Cícero Alves dos Santos (known as Véio), made from anthropomorphic branches found near his home in northeast Brazil.

— hettie judah, New York Times, "An Unorthodox Design Gallery in a London Townhouse," 30 Apr. 2018
The Jabari women weren’t these, like, stick figures.

— kristian 'krit' schmidt, The Root, "Winston Duke Says Black Women Have Been His No. 1 Fans," 25 Apr. 2018
Cooper holds up a drawing and points to a stick figure carrying something under its right arm.

— greg bishop, SI.com, "Why Jake Locker Walked Away From Football—and Why He Doesn’t Miss It," 18 Apr. 2018
While the rest of us are out here still trying to master drawing the perfect stick figure, incredibly talented artist Maria A. Aristidou can paint the Mona Lisa — with coffee.

— ariel nagi, Seventeen, "Watch This Incredible Artist Paint the Mona Lisa With Coffee," 30 June 2015
Roseboro Salemburg Middle School in Sampson County suspended the unidentified seventh-grader for two days over the doodle, which portrayed one stick figure holding what appeared to be a rifle and another carrying two large knives.

— madeline farber, Fox News, "North Carolina boy, 13, suspended after drawing stick figures holding a gun and knives, report says," 28 Mar. 2018
Players guess letters of an unrevealed word and then draw an arm, leg, head or torso of a stick figure hanging from gallows for every incorrect guess.

— aimee green, OregonLive.com, "Jury: Black worker wasn't fired because she complained playing 'hangman' was racist," 19 Mar. 2018
There were the vocal outbursts, disturbing drawings of stick figures with guns, constant disciplinary issues.

— tim craig, Washington Post, "Teachers say Florida suspect’s problems started in middle school, and the system tried to help him," 6 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stick figure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of stick figure

1903

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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STICK FIGURE Defined for English Language Learners

stick figure

noun

Definition of stick figure for English Language Learners

: a drawing that shows the head of a person or animal as a circle and all other parts as usually straight lines

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Definition of stick figure

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STICK FIGURE Defined for English Language Learners

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