Definition of the word shape

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

«Geometric shape» redirects here. For the Unicode symbols, see Geometric Shapes.

A shape or figure is a graphical representation of an object or its external boundary, outline, or external surface, as opposed to other properties such as color, texture, or material type.
A plane shape or plane figure is constrained to lie on a plane, in contrast to solid 3D shapes.
A two-dimensional shape or two-dimensional figure (also: 2D shape or 2D figure) may lie on a more general curved surface (a non-Euclidean two-dimensional space).

Classification of simple shapes[edit]

Some simple shapes can be put into broad categories. For instance, polygons are classified according to their number of edges as triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, etc. Each of these is divided into smaller categories; triangles can be equilateral, isosceles, obtuse, acute, scalene, etc. while quadrilaterals can be rectangles, rhombi, trapezoids, squares, etc.

Other common shapes are points, lines, planes, and conic sections such as ellipses, circles, and parabolas.

Among the most common 3-dimensional shapes are polyhedra, which are shapes with flat faces; ellipsoids, which are egg-shaped or sphere-shaped objects; cylinders; and cones.

If an object falls into one of these categories exactly or even approximately, we can use it to describe the shape of the object. Thus, we say that the shape of a manhole cover is a disk, because it is approximately the same geometric object as an actual geometric disk.

In geometry[edit]

A geometric shape consists of the geometric information which remains when location, scale, orientation and reflection are removed from the description of a geometric object.^[1] That is, the result of moving a shape around, enlarging it, rotating it, or reflecting it in a mirror is the same shape as the original, and not a distinct shape.

Many two-dimensional geometric shapes can be defined by a set of points or vertices and lines connecting the points in a closed chain, as well as the resulting interior points. Such shapes are called polygons and include triangles, squares, and pentagons. Other shapes may be bounded by curves such as the circle or the ellipse.

Many three-dimensional geometric shapes can be defined by a set of vertices, lines connecting the vertices, and two-dimensional faces enclosed by those lines, as well as the resulting interior points. Such shapes are called polyhedrons and include cubes as well as pyramids such as tetrahedrons. Other three-dimensional shapes may be bounded by curved surfaces, such as the ellipsoid and the sphere.

A shape is said to be convex if all of the points on a line segment between any two of its points are also part of the shape.

Properties[edit]

There are several ways to compare the shapes of two objects:

• Congruence: Two objects are congruent if one can be transformed into the other by a sequence of rotations, translations, and/or reflections.
• Similarity: Two objects are similar if one can be transformed into the other by a uniform scaling, together with a sequence of rotations, translations, and/or reflections.
• Isotopy: Two objects are isotopic if one can be transformed into the other by a sequence of deformations that do not tear the object or put holes in it.

Sometimes, two similar or congruent objects may be regarded as having a different shape if a reflection is required to transform one into the other. For instance, the letters «b» and «d» are a reflection of each other, and hence they are congruent and similar, but in some contexts they are not regarded as having the same shape. Sometimes, only the outline or external boundary of the object is considered to determine its shape. For instance, a hollow sphere may be considered to have the same shape as a solid sphere. Procrustes analysis is used in many sciences to determine whether or not two objects have the same shape, or to measure the difference between two shapes. In advanced mathematics, quasi-isometry can be used as a criterion to state that two shapes are approximately the same.

Simple shapes can often be classified into basic geometric objects such as a point, a line, a curve, a plane, a plane figure (e.g. square or circle), or a solid figure (e.g. cube or sphere). However, most shapes occurring in the physical world are complex. Some, such as plant structures and coastlines, may be so complicated as to defy traditional mathematical description – in which case they may be analyzed by differential geometry, or as fractals.

Equivalence of shapes[edit]

In geometry, two subsets of a Euclidean space have the same shape if one can be transformed to the other by a combination of translations, rotations (together also called rigid transformations), and uniform scalings. In other words, the shape of a set of points is all the geometrical information that is invariant to translations, rotations, and size changes. Having the same shape is an equivalence relation, and accordingly a precise mathematical definition of the notion of shape can be given as being an equivalence class of subsets of a Euclidean space having the same shape.

Mathematician and statistician David George Kendall writes:^[2]

In this paper ‘shape’ is used in the vulgar sense, and means what one would normally expect it to mean. […] We here define ‘shape’ informally as ‘all the geometrical information that remains when location, scale^[3] and rotational effects are filtered out from an object.’

Shapes of physical objects are equal if the subsets of space these objects occupy satisfy the definition above. In particular, the shape does not depend on the size and placement in space of the object. For instance, a «d» and a «p» have the same shape, as they can be perfectly superimposed if the «d» is translated to the right by a given distance, rotated upside down and magnified by a given factor (see Procrustes superimposition for details). However, a mirror image could be called a different shape. For instance, a «b» and a «p» have a different shape, at least when they are constrained to move within a two-dimensional space like the page on which they are written. Even though they have the same size, there’s no way to perfectly superimpose them by translating and rotating them along the page. Similarly, within a three-dimensional space, a right hand and a left hand have a different shape, even if they are the mirror images of each other. Shapes may change if the object is scaled non-uniformly. For example, a sphere becomes an ellipsoid when scaled differently in the vertical and horizontal directions. In other words, preserving axes of symmetry (if they exist) is important for preserving shapes. Also, shape is determined by only the outer boundary of an object.

Congruence and similarity[edit]

Objects that can be transformed into each other by rigid transformations and mirroring (but not scaling) are congruent. An object is therefore congruent to its mirror image (even if it is not symmetric), but not to a scaled version. Two congruent objects always have either the same shape or mirror image shapes, and have the same size.

Objects that have the same shape or mirror image shapes are called geometrically similar, whether or not they have the same size. Thus, objects that can be transformed into each other by rigid transformations, mirroring, and uniform scaling are similar. Similarity is preserved when one of the objects is uniformly scaled, while congruence is not. Thus, congruent objects are always geometrically similar, but similar objects may not be congruent, as they may have different size.

Homeomorphism[edit]

A more flexible definition of shape takes into consideration the fact that realistic shapes are often deformable, e.g. a person in different postures, a tree bending in the wind or a hand with different finger positions.

One way of modeling non-rigid movements is by homeomorphisms. Roughly speaking, a homeomorphism is a continuous stretching and bending of an object into a new shape. Thus, a square and a circle are homeomorphic to each other, but a sphere and a donut are not. An often-repeated mathematical joke is that topologists cannot tell their coffee cup from their donut,^[4] since a sufficiently pliable donut could be reshaped to the form of a coffee cup by creating a dimple and progressively enlarging it, while preserving the donut hole in a cup’s handle.

A described shape has external lines that you can see and make up the shape. If you were putting you coordinates on and coordinate graph you could draw lines to show where you can see a shape, however not every time you put coordinates in a graph as such you can make a shape. This shape has a outline and boundary so you can see it and is not just regular dots on a regular paper.

Shape analysis[edit]

The above-mentioned mathematical definitions of rigid and non-rigid shape have arisen in the field of statistical shape analysis. In particular, Procrustes analysis is a technique used for comparing shapes of similar objects (e.g. bones of different animals), or measuring the deformation of a deformable object. Other methods are designed to work with non-rigid (bendable) objects, e.g. for posture independent shape retrieval (see for example Spectral shape analysis).

Similarity classes[edit]

All similar triangles have the same shape. These shapes can be classified using complex numbers u, v, w for the vertices, in a method advanced by J.A. Lester^[5] and Rafael Artzy. For example, an equilateral triangle can be expressed by the complex numbers 0, 1, (1 + i √3)/2 representing its vertices. Lester and Artzy call the ratio

the shape of triangle (u, v, w). Then the shape of the equilateral triangle is

(0–(1+ i√3)/2)/(0–1) = ( 1 + i √3)/2 = cos(60°) + i sin(60°) = exp( i π/3).

For any affine transformation of the complex plane,   a triangle is transformed but does not change its shape. Hence shape is an invariant of affine geometry.
The shape p = S(u,v,w) depends on the order of the arguments of function S, but permutations lead to related values. For instance,

Also

Combining these permutations gives Furthermore,

These relations are «conversion rules» for shape of a triangle.

The shape of a quadrilateral is associated with two complex numbers p,q. If the quadrilateral has vertices u,v,w,x, then p = S(u,v,w) and q = S(v,w,x). Artzy proves these propositions about quadrilateral shapes:

1. If then the quadrilateral is a parallelogram.
2. If a parallelogram has | arg p | = | arg q |, then it is a rhombus.
3. When p = 1 + i and q = (1 + i)/2, then the quadrilateral is square.
4. If and sgn r = sgn(Im p), then the quadrilateral is a trapezoid.

A polygon has a shape defined by n – 2 complex numbers The polygon bounds a convex set when all these shape components have imaginary components of the same sign.^[6]

Human perception of shapes[edit]

Human vision relies on a wide range of shape representations.^[7][8] Some psychologists have theorized that humans mentally break down images into simple geometric shapes (e.g., cones and spheres) called geons.^[9] Others have suggested shapes are decomposed into features or dimensions that describe the way shapes tend to vary, like their segmentability, compactness and spikiness.^[10] When comparing shape similarity, however, at least 22 independent dimensions are needed to account for the way natural shapes vary. ^[7]

There is also clear evidence that shapes guide human attention.^[11]

See also[edit]

• Area
• Glossary of shapes with metaphorical names
• Lists of shapes
• Shape factor
• Size
• Solid geometry
• Region (mathematics)

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• The dictionary definition of shape at Wiktionary

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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”). Cognate with Middle Dutch schap (“form”), Middle High German geschaf (“creature”), Icelandic skap (“state, condition, temper, mood”).

The verb is from Middle English shapen, schapen, from Old English scieppan (“to shape, form, make, create, assign, arrange, destine, order, adjudge”), from Proto-Germanic *skapjaną (“to create”), from the noun. Cognate with Dutch scheppen, German schaffen, Swedish skapa (“create, make”), Norwegian Bokmål skape (“create”). Doublet of -ship.

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: shāp, IPA^(key): /ʃeɪp/
• Rhymes: -eɪp

Noun[edit]

shape (countable and uncountable, plural shapes)

1. The status or condition of something

   The used bookshop wouldn’t offer much due to the poor shape of the book.

2. Condition of personal health, especially muscular health.

   The vet checked to see what kind of shape the animal was in.

   We exercise to keep in good physical shape.

3. The appearance of something in terms of its arrangement in space, especially its outline; often a basic geometric two-dimensional figure.

   He cut a square shape out of the cake.

   What shape shall we use for the cookies? Stars, circles, or diamonds?

4. Form; formation.
   • 2006, Berdj Kenadjian, Martin Zakarian, From Darkness to Light:

     What if God’s plans and actions do mold the shape of human events?

5. (iron manufacture) A rolled or hammered piece, such as a bar, beam, angle iron, etc., having a cross section different from merchant bar.
6. (iron manufacture) A piece which has been roughly forged nearly to the form it will receive when completely forged or fitted.
7. (cooking, now rare) A mould for making blancmange, jelly, etc., or a piece of such food formed moulded into a particular shape.

   • 1918 March, Rebecca West [pseudonym; Cicily Isabel Fairfield], chapter IV, in The Return of the Soldier, 1st US edition, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, page 92:

     And if I ‘m late for supper there ‘s a dish of macaroni cheese you must put in the oven and a tin of tomatoes to eat with it. And there is a little rhubarb and shape.

   • 1978, Jane Gardam, God on the Rocks, Abacus 2014, p. 111:

     It was brawn and shape for high tea.

8. (gambling) A loaded die.
   • 1961, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Gambling and Organized Crime: Hearings (page 76)

     A top cheater seldom ever uses shapes or loaded dice because they do not assure you of winning.

9. (programming) In the Hack programming language, a group of data fields each of which has a name and a data type.

Hyponyms[edit]

• See also Thesaurus:shape

Hyponyms[edit]

• contest shape

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

• Appendix:Forms and shapes

Verb[edit]

shape (third-person singular simple present shapes, present participle shaping, simple past shaped or (obsolete) shope, past participle shaped or (archaic) shapen)

1. (Northern England, Scotland, rare) To create or make.

   Earth was shapen by God for God’s folk.

   • 1685, Satan’s Invisible World Discoveredː

     Which the mighty God of heaven shope.

2. (transitive) To give something a shape and definition.
   • 1932, The American Scholar, page 227, United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa

     The professor never pretended to the academic prerogative of forcing his students into his own channels of reasoning; he entered into and helped shape the discussion but above all he made his men learn to think for themselves and rely upon their own intellectual judgments.

   • 2013 August 3, “Revenge of the nerds”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:

     Think of banking today and the image is of grey-suited men in towering skyscrapers. Its future, however, is being shaped in converted warehouses and funky offices in San Francisco, New York and London, where bright young things in jeans and T-shirts huddle around laptops, sipping lattes or munching on free food.

   Shape the dough into a pretzel.   For my art project, I plan to shape my clay lump into a bowl.

3. To form or manipulate something into a certain shape.

   • 1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Solomon on the Vanity of the World. A Poem in Three Books.”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC, book II (Pleasure), page 437:

     Mature the Virgin was of Egypt‘s Race: / Grace ſhap’d her Limbs; and Beauty deck’d her Face: […]

   • 2010 December 29, Mark Vesty, “Wigan 2-2 Arsenal”, in BBC:

     Bendtner’s goal-bound shot was well saved by goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi but fell to Arsahvin on the edge of the area and the Russian swivelled, shaped his body and angled a sumptuous volley into the corner.

4. (of a country, person, etc) To give influence to.
5. To suit; to be adjusted or conformable.

   • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]:

     The more of you ’twas felt, the more it shap’d / Unto my end of stealing them

6. (obsolete) To imagine; to conceive.

   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:

     Oft my jealousy / Shapes faults that are not.

Conjugation[edit]

Synonyms[edit]

• (give shape): form, mold, (rare) shapen

Derived terms[edit]

• beshape
• foreshape
• forshape
• misshape
• overshape
• shape up

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

• The Dictionary of the Scots Language
• “shape”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• shape at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams[edit]

• HEPAs, Heaps, ephas, heaps, phase

types:

show 72 types…

hide 72 types…

solid

a three-dimensional shape

plane, sheet

(mathematics) an unbounded two-dimensional shape

natural shape

a shape created by natural forces; not man-made

flair, flare

a shape that spreads outward

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

angular shape, angularity

a shape having one or more sharp angles

round shape

a shape that is curved and without sharp angles

distorted shape, distortion

a shape resulting from distortion

amorphous shape

an ill-defined or arbitrary shape

connection, connexion, link

a connecting shape

circle

something approximating the shape of a circle

square

something approximating the shape of a square

triangle

something approximating the shape of a triangle

column, pillar, tower

anything that approximates the shape of a column or tower

plume

anything that resembles a feather in shape or lightness

curve

a line on a graph representing data

Cartesian plane

a plane in which all points can be described in Cartesian coordinates

facet plane

the plane of a facet of an object (as of a cube)

midline, midplane

the median plane of the body (or some part of the body)

orbital plane

(astronomy) the plane on which a body is orbiting

picture plane

the plane that is in the foreground of a drawing or painting; coextensive with but different from the objective surface of the work

tangent plane

the plane that contains all the lines tangent to a specific point on a surface

leaf form, leaf shape

any of the various shape that leaves of plants can assume

equilateral

a figure whose sides are all equal

pencil

a figure formed by a set of straight lines or light rays meeting at a point

plane figure, two-dimensional figure

a two-dimensional shape

solid figure, three-dimensional figure

a three-dimensional shape

subfigure

a figure that is a part of another figure

bulb

anything with a round shape resembling a teardrop

convex shape, convexity

a shape that curves or bulges outward

concave shape, concavity, incurvation, incurvature

a shape that curves or bends inward

cylinder

a solid bounded by a cylindrical surface and two parallel planes (the bases)

curve, curved shape

the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes

straight line

a line traced by a point traveling in a constant direction; a line of zero curvature

geodesic, geodesic line

(mathematics) the shortest line between two points on a mathematically defined surface (as a straight line on a plane or an arc of a great circle on a sphere)

perimeter

a line enclosing a plane area

center line, centerline

a line that bisects a plane figure

cone, cone shape, conoid

a shape whose base is a circle and whose sides taper up to a point

disc, disk, saucer

something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate

coil, curl, curlicue, gyre, ringlet, roll, scroll, whorl

a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)

convolution, swirl, vortex, whirl

the shape of something rotating rapidly

parallel

(mathematics) one of a set of parallel geometric figures (parallel lines or planes)

polyhedron

a solid figure bounded by plane polygons or faces

contortion, crookedness, torsion, tortuosity, tortuousness

a tortuous and twisted shape or position

buckle, warp

a shape distorted by twisting or folding

gnarl, knot

something twisted and tight and swollen

forking, furcation

the place where something divides into branches

jog

a sharp change in direction

zag, zig, zigzag

an angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions

ellipsoid of revolution, spheroid

a shape that is generated by rotating an ellipse around one of its axes

sphere

a three-dimensional closed surface such that every point on the surface is equidistant from the center

sphere

a solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the space it encloses)

cylinder

a surface generated by rotating a parallel line around a fixed line

toroid, torus

a ring-shaped surface generated by rotating a circle around an axis that does not intersect the circle

toroid

the doughnut-shaped object enclosed by a torus

columella

a small column (or structure resembling a column) that is a part of a plant or animal

hoodoo

(geology) a column of weathered and unusually shaped rock

rim

the shape of a raised edge of a more or less circular object

bound, boundary, edge

a line determining the limits of an area

bend, crease, crimp, flexure, fold, plication

an angular or rounded shape made by folding

shapelessness

an amorphous or indefinite shape

blob

an indistinct shapeless form

space

an empty area (usually bounded in some way between things)

node

a connecting point at which several lines come together

articulation, join, joint, junction, juncture

the shape or manner in which things come together and a connection is made

cast, mold, mould, stamp

the distinctive form in which a thing is made

block, cube

a three-dimensional shape with six square or rectangular sides

ovoid

an egg-shaped object

frustum

a truncated cone or pyramid; the part that is left when a cone or pyramid is cut by a plane parallel to the base and the apical part is removed

tendril

something long, light, slender, and often curling

segment

the part of a line between any two points

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A shape is a geometric figure that can be described with mathematics. One way to classify shapes is to describe a bigger kind of shape that the shape is one of. For example, they can be classified by their different numbers of dimensions. Thus, circles are two-dimensional shapes so, like other 2D shapes, they will fit into a flat plane.

Three-dimensional objects like cubes will not fit inside a plane, because they are not flat. Four-dimensional shapes made of polygons are called polychorons, and shapes made of polygons of any dimension are polytopes.

Two shapes are said to be equal, if one can be changed into the other by turning, moving, growing, shrinking, or more than one of these in combination. Geometry is one of the practical sections of mathematics which involves various shapes and sizes of different figures and their properties.

2D shapes[change | change source]

These are two-dimensional shapes or flat plane geometry shapes. Their sides are made of straight or curved lines. They can have any number of sides. Plane figures made of lines are called polygons. Triangles and squares are examples of polygons.

• circle
• oval
• polygon
  • triangle
  • quadrilateral
    • square
    • rectangle
  • octagon
  • heptagon
  • hexagon
  • pentagon
  • decagon
  • nonagon
  • heptadecagon

3D shapes[change | change source]

These are three-dimensional shapes. Their sides are made of flat or curved surfaces.

• sphere
• platonic solid
  • tetrahedron
  • cube
  • octahedron
  • dodecahedron
  • icosahedron
• cone
• pyramid
• hemisphere
• cuboid
• cylinder
• prism

• Defenition of the word shape

  • The appearance of something, especially its outline.
  • External aspect or form of something.
  • To create something, usually for a specific function.
  • the state of (good) health—especially in the phrases «in condition» or «in shape» or «out of condition» or «out of shape»
  • shape or influence; give direction to; «experience often determines ability»
  • the visual appearance of something or someone; «the delicate cast of his features»
  • 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»
  • 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»
  • a concrete representation of an otherwise nebulous concept; «a circle was the embodiment of his concept of life»
  • the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance; «geometry is the mathematical science of shape»
  • cause to shape or form; «shape a bun»; «shape a ball from the dough»
  • any spatial attribute (especially as defined by outline); «he could barely make out their shapes through the smoke»
  • make something, usually for a specific function; «She molded the riceballs carefully»; «Form the dough into cylinders»
  • any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline); «he could barely make out their shapes through the smoke»
  • the supremem headquarters that advises NATO on military matters and oversees all aspects of the Allied Command Europe
  • the state of (good) health (especially in the phrases `in condition» or `in shape» or `out of condition» or `out of shape»)
  • give a shape or form to; «shape the dough»
  • shape or influence; give direction to; «experience often determines ability»; «mold public opinion»
  • make something, usually for a specific function; «She molded the riceballs carefully»; «Form cylinders from the dough»; «shape a figure»; «Work the metal into a sword»
  • the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance
  • the visual appearance of something or someone
  • any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
  • alternative names for the body of a human being
  • a perceptual structure
  • a concrete representation of an otherwise nebulous concept
  • the supreme headquarters that advises NATO on military matters and oversees all aspects of the Allied Command Europe
  • the state of (good) health (especially in the phrases `in condition’ or `in shape’ or `out of condition’ or `out of shape’)
  • give shape or form to
  • shape or influence; give direction to
  • make something, usually for a specific function

Synonyms for the word shape

• • affect
  • anatomy
  • appearance
  • bod
  • build
  • cast
  • character
  • chassis
  • condition
  • configuration
  • contour
  • determine
  • embodiment
  • figure
  • flesh
  • forge
  • form
  • frame
  • have an effect on
  • human body
  • identity
  • influence
  • manipulate
  • material body
  • model
  • mold
  • mould
  • nature
  • outline
  • pattern
  • physical body
  • physique
  • profile
  • regulate
  • sculpt
  • silhouette
  • smooth
  • soma
  • structure
  • whittle

Similar words in the shape

• • shape
  • shape’s
  • shapeless
  • shapelessly
  • shapelessness
  • shapelessness’s
  • shapelier
  • shapeliest
  • shapeliness
  • shapely

Meronymys for the word shape

• • homo
  • human
  • human being
  • individual
  • leg
  • man
  • mortal
  • NATO
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • percept
  • perception
  • perceptual experience
  • person
  • somebody
  • someone
  • soul

Hyponyms for the word shape

• • adult body
  • amorphous shape
  • angular shape
  • angularity
  • beat
  • block
  • blow
  • bluntness
  • carry weight
  • carve
  • cast
  • chip
  • circle
  • coil
  • column
  • concaveness
  • concavity
  • connection
  • connexion
  • convexity
  • convexness
  • crookedness
  • crystalise
  • crystalize
  • crystallise
  • crystallize
  • culminate
  • cup
  • curvature
  • curve
  • cut out
  • decide
  • deform
  • dimension
  • dish
  • disincline
  • dispose
  • distort
  • distorted shape
  • distortion
  • draw
  • dullness
  • dulness
  • encircle
  • female body
  • figure
  • fit
  • fitness
  • flair
  • flare
  • flatten
  • fork
  • fractal
  • gestalt
  • good condition
  • good shape
  • grain
  • granulate
  • grid
  • grind
  • hand-build
  • handbuild
  • hill
  • incline
  • index
  • indispose
  • individuate
  • juvenile body
  • kaleidoscope
  • keenness
  • layer
  • line
  • link
  • lobularity
  • machine
  • male body
  • miscreate
  • model
  • mold
  • mosaic
  • mould
  • mound
  • narrowing
  • natural shape
  • pace
  • person
  • physical fitness
  • pillar
  • plane
  • plume
  • predetermine
  • preform
  • puddle
  • remold
  • reshape
  • ridge
  • roll
  • roughcast
  • round
  • round off
  • round out
  • round shape
  • roundness
  • scallop
  • scollop
  • sculpt
  • sculpture
  • sharpness
  • sheet
  • sinter
  • sliver
  • solid
  • square
  • square up
  • stamp
  • straightness
  • strain
  • strand
  • stratification
  • strike
  • swage
  • tabulate
  • terrace
  • throw
  • tie
  • time
  • topography
  • tower
  • triangle
  • turn
  • twist
  • upset

Hypernyms for the word shape

• • alter
  • appearance
  • attribute
  • body
  • cause
  • change
  • concrete representation
  • concretism
  • create from raw material
  • create from raw stuff
  • do
  • good health
  • healthiness
  • high command
  • make
  • modify
  • organic structure
  • physical structure
  • spatial property
  • spatiality
  • structure
  • supreme headquarters
  • visual aspect

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See Also: shantey shanti Shantou Shantung shantung shanty shantytown Shanxi Shaoxing Shaoyang SHAPE shape shape note shape up shape-up shaped shaped charge shapeless shapely shapen shaper Recent searches: View All

Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks. Inflections of ‘shape‘ (v): (⇒ conjugate) shapes v 3rd person singular shaping v pres p shaped v past shaped v past p WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023 shape /ʃeɪp/USA pronunciation   n., v., shaped, shap•ing.  n. the appearance of an object; the way a person or thing looks on the outside:[countable]Italy has the shape of a boot when you see it on a map. something seen in outline:[countable]A vague shape appeared through the mist. condition; state of repair:[uncountable]The old house was in bad shape. She wants to exercise to get into shape (= to get into good physical condition). orderly arrangement:[uncountable]He could give no shape to his ideas. the figure or body of a person, esp. of a woman:[countable]The actress still has a great shape. v. to give definite form to:[~ + object]to shape the ground beef into meatballs. to put in words:[~ + object]He shaped his criticism of her very carefully so as not to offend. to direct (one’s course, etc.):[~ + object]The events of his youth shaped his whole way of thinking. shape up, [no object] to change, esp. favorably:Things are finally beginning to shape up in the economy. to improve one’s behavior, performance, or physical condition:If you don’t shape up, you’ll be fired. Idioms Idioms take shape, to take on a more complete form; become defined:Her ideas began to take shape and she wrote them down. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023 shape  (shāp),USA pronunciation n., v., shaped, shap•ing.  n. the quality of a distinct object or body in having an external surface or outline of specific form or figure. this quality as found in some individual object or body form:This lake has a peculiar shape. something seen in outline, as in silhouette:A vague shape appeared through the mist. an imaginary form; phantom. an assumed appearance; guise:an angel in the shape of a woman. a particular or definite organized form or expression:He could give no shape to his ideas. proper form; orderly arrangement. condition or state of repair:The old house was in bad shape. He was sick last year, but is in good shape now. the collective conditions forming a way of life or mode of existence:What will the shape of the future be? the figure, physique, or body of a person, esp. of a woman:A dancer can keep her shape longer than those of us who have sedentary jobs. something used to give form, as a mold or a pattern. Metallurgy, Building, BuildingAlso called section. Building Trades, Metalworking. a flanged metal beam or bar of uniform section, as a channel iron, I-beam, etc. Nautical, Naval Termsa ball, cone, drum, etc., used as a day signal, singly or in combinations, to designate a vessel at anchor or engaged in some particular operation. take shape, to assume a fixed form; become definite:The house is beginning to take shape. v.t. to give definite form, shape, organization, or character to; fashion or form. to couch or express in words:to shape a statement. to adjust; adapt:He shaped everything to suit his taste. to direct (one’s course, future, etc.). to file the teeth of (a saw) to uniform width after jointing. Animal Behaviorto teach (a desired behavior) to a human or other animal by successively rewarding the actions that more and more closely approximate that behavior. [Obs.]to appoint; decree. v.i. to come to a desired conclusion or take place in a specified way:If discussions shape properly, the companies will merge. shape up: to assume a specific form:The plan is beginning to shape up. to evolve or develop, esp. favorably. to improve one’s behavior or performance to meet a required standard. to get oneself into good physical condition. (of longshoremen) to get into a line or formation in order to be assigned the day’s work. bef. 900; (noun, nominal) Middle English; Old English gesceapu (plural); replacing dialect, dialectal shap, Middle English; Old English gesceap (singular); cognate with Old Norse skap state, mood; (verb, verbal) Middle English; Old English sceapen (past participle); replacing Middle English sheppe, shippe, Old English sceppan, scyppan; cognate with German schaffen, Old Norse skepja, Gothic -skapjan to make shap′a•ble, shape′a•ble, adj.  1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged silhouette, appearance. See form.  4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged specter, illusion. 7.See corresponding entry in Unabridged order, pattern. 8.See corresponding entry in Unabridged order, situation. 15.See corresponding entry in Unabridged mold, model. SHAPE  (shāp),USA pronunciation n.  GovernmentSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe. Also, Shape.  Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: shape /ʃeɪp/ n the outward form of an object defined by outline the figure or outline of the body of a person a phantom organized or definite form: my plans are taking shape the form that anything assumes; guise something used to provide or define form; pattern; mould condition or state of efficiency: to be in good shape out of shape ⇒ in bad physical condition bent, twisted, or deformed take shape ⇒ to assume a definite form vb when intr, often followed by into or up: to receive or cause to receive shape or form (transitive) to mould into a particular pattern or form; modify (transitive) to plan, devise, or prepare: to shape a plan of action Etymology: Old English gesceap, literally: that which is created, from scieppan to create; related to sceap sexual organs, Old Norse skap destiny, Old High German scaf form ˈshapable, ˈshapeable adj ˈshaper n Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: SHAPE /ʃeɪp/ n acronym for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe ‘shape‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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Last Updated: April 20, 2022 | Author: howto-Trust

Contents

• 1 What does the word shape?
• 2 What is a example of shape?
• 3 What does the acronym shape stand for?
• 4 What does it mean when something shapes something?
• 5 What is the best definition of shape?
• 6 What does shaped mean in history?
• 7 What are the two main types of shapes?

What does the word shape?

1 : outward appearance : the form or outline of something the shape of a pear circles, squares, and other shapes. 2 : definite arrangement and form The plan is finally taking shape. 3 : condition entry 1 sense 1 The car is in poor shape.

What is a example of shape?

An example of a shape is a square diamond. An example of shape is a state of ill health. An example of shape is when you see the shadow of a figure but can’t make out who it is. An example of shape is a circle cut out of construction paper.

What does the acronym shape stand for?

Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality

S.H.A.P.E. is an acronym first coined by Rick Warren, famous for his bestseller, The Purpose Driven Life. It stands for Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experiences. It’s a nice way to help people think about and analyze their individual characteristics that God has invested in them for ministry.

What does it mean when something shapes something?

1[transitive] to make something into a particular shape shape A into B Shape the dough into a ball.

What is the best definition of shape?

noun. the quality of a distinct object or body in having an external surface or outline of specific form or figure.

What does shaped mean in history?

Someone or something that shapes a situation or an activity has a very great influence on the way it develops.

What are the two main types of shapes?

There are two types of shapes: geometric and free-form. Geometric shapes are precise shapes that can be described using mathematical formulas. Geometric shapes include circle, square, triangle, oval, rectangle, octagon, parallelogram, trapezoid, pentagon, and hexagon.