shape
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English [edit]
Pronunciation [edit]
Etymology 1 [edit]
From Middle English shap, schape, from Old English ġesceap (“shape, form, created being, creature, creation, dispensation, fate, condition, sex, gender, genitalia”), from Proto-Germanic *ga- + *skapą (“shape, nature, condition”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kÀp- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Middle Dutch schap (“form”), Middle High German geschaf (“creature”), Icelandic skap (“state, condition, temper, mood”).
Noun [edit]
shape (plural shapes)
- The status or condition of something
- The used bookshop wouldn't offer much due to the poor shape of the book.
- 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.
- The appearance of something, especially its outline.
- He cut a square shape out of the cake.
- A figure with unspecified appearance; especially a geometric figure.
- What shape shall we use for the cookies? Stars, circles, or diamonds?
- 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?
- 2006, Berdj Kenadjian, Martin Zakarian, From Darkness to Light:
Hyponyms [edit]
- See also Wikisaurus:shape
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
See also [edit]
Etymology 2 [edit]
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 Proto-Indo-European *(s)kÀp- (“to split, divide”). Cognate with Dutch scheppen, German schaffen, Swedish skapa (“to create, make”).
Verb [edit]
shape (third-person singular simple present shapes, present participle shaping, simple past shaped or (obsolete) shope, past participle shaped or shapen)
- (transitive) To give something a shape and definition.
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- Shape the dough into a pretzel.
- For my art project, I plan to shape my clay lump into a bowl.
- 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.
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- To manouevre something into a certain shape.
- 2010 December 29, Mark Vesty, “Wigan 2 - 2 Arsenal”, 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.
- 2010 December 29, Mark Vesty, “Wigan 2 - 2 Arsenal”, BBC:
- (of a country, person, etc) To give influence to.
- To suit; to be adjusted or conformable.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
