Definitions for shape
ʃeɪpshape

Princeton's WordNet(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. shape, form, configuration, contour, conformationnoun

   any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)

   "he could barely make out their shapes"

2. shape, formnoun

   the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance

   "geometry is the mathematical science of shape"

3. human body, physical body, material body, soma, build, figure, physique, anatomy, shape, bod, chassis, frame, form, fleshnoun

   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"

4. shape, embodimentnoun

   a concrete representation of an otherwise nebulous concept

   "a circle was the embodiment of his concept of life"

5. form, shape, castnoun

   the visual appearance of something or someone

   "the delicate cast of his features"

6. condition, shapenoun

   the state of (good) health (especially in the phrases `in condition' or `in shape' or `out of condition' or `out of shape')

7. Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, SHAPEnoun

   the supreme headquarters that advises NATO on military matters and oversees all aspects of the Allied Command Europe

8. form, shape, patternverb

   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"

9. determine, shape, mold, influence, regulateverb

   shape or influence; give direction to

   "experience often determines ability"; "mold public opinion"

10. shape, form, work, mold, mould, forgeverb

    make something, usually for a specific function

    "She molded the rice balls carefully"; "Form cylinders from the dough"; "shape a figure"; "Work the metal into a sword"

11. shape, formverb

    give shape or form to

    "shape the dough"; "form the young child's character"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shapenoun

   Etymology: from the verb.

   1. Form; external appearance.

   He beat me grievously in the shape of a woman; for in the shape of a man, master Brook, I fear not Goliah with a weaver’s beam. William Shakespeare.

   The shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for battle. Rev. ix. 7.

   The other shape,
   If shape it may be call’d that shape had none,
   Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb. John Milton.

   In vegetables and animals the shape we most fix on, and are most led by. John Locke.

   2. Make of the trunk of the body.

   First a charming shape enslav’d me,
   An eye then gave the fatal stroke;
   ’Till by her wit Corinna sav’d me,
   And all my former fetters broke. Addison.

   3. Being, as moulded into shape.

   Before the gates there sat
   On either side a formidable shape. John Milton, Paradise Lost.

   4. Idea; pattern.

   Thy heart
   Contains of good, wise, just, the perfect shape. John Milton.

   5. It is now used in low conversation for manner.

2. To SHAPEverb

   preter. shaped; part. pass. shaped and shapen.

   Etymology: scyppan , Saxon; scheppen, Dutch.

   1. To form; to mould with respect to external dimensions.

   I that am not shap’d for sportive tricks,
   Nor made to court an am’rous looking-glass;
   I, that am rudely stampt, and want love’s majesty,
   To strut before a wanton ambling nymph. William Shakespeare, R. III.

   Those nature hath shaped with a great head, narrow breast, and shoulders sticking out, seem much inclined to a consumption. Gideon Harvey.

   Mature the virgin was, of Egypt’s race;
   Grace shap’d her limbs, and beauty deck’d her face. Matthew Prior.

   The faultless form,
   Shap’d by the hand of harmony. James Thomson.

   2. To mould; to cast; to regulate; to adjust.

   Drag the villain hither by the hair,
   Nor age nor honour shall shape privilege. William Shakespeare, Tit. And.

   Mr. Candish, when without hope, and ready to shape his course by the East homewards, met a ship which came from the Philippines. Walter Raleigh.

   To the stream, when neither friends nor force,
   Nor speed nor art avail, he shapes his course. John Denham.

   Charm’d by their eyes, their manners I acquire,
   And shape my foolishness to their desire. Matthew Prior.

   3. To image; to conceive.

   Lovers and madmen have their seething brains,
   Such shaping fantasies that apprehend
   More than cool reason ever apprehends. William Shakespeare.

   It is my nature’s plague
   To spy into abuse, and oft my jealousy
   Shapes faults that are not. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   When fancy hath formed and shaped the perfectest ideas of blessedness, our own more happy experiences of greater must disabuse us. Boyle.

   4. To make; to create. Obsolete.

   I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Ps. li. 5.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shape

   Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the military headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) that commands all NATO operations worldwide. ACO's and SHAPE's commander is titled Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), a U.S. four-star general officer or flag officer who also serves as Commander, U.S. European Command. SHAPE is situated in Mons, Belgium. Under the 2002 Berlin Plus agreement, SHAPE may also take part in the European Union's (EU) command and control structure as an operational headquarters (OHQ) for EU missions. In such an instance, the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), who is always a European, would serve as Operation Commander (OpCdr). This use of SHAPE by the EU is however subject to a "right of first refusal", i.e. NATO must first decline to intervene in a given crisis, and contingent on unanimous approval among NATO states, including those outside of the EU.

Webster Dictionary(4.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shapenoun

   to form or create; especially, to mold or make into a particular form; to give proper form or figure to

2. Shapenoun

   to adapt to a purpose; to regulate; to adjust; to direct; as, to shape the course of a vessel

3. Shapenoun

   to image; to conceive; to body forth

4. Shapenoun

   to design; to prepare; to plan; to arrange

5. Shapeverb

   to suit; to be adjusted or conformable

6. Shapenoun

   character or construction of a thing as determining its external appearance; outward aspect; make; figure; form; guise; as, the shape of a tree; the shape of the head; an elegant shape

7. Shapenoun

   that which has form or figure; a figure; an appearance; a being

8. Shapenoun

   a model; a pattern; a mold

9. Shapenoun

   form of embodiment, as in words; form, as of thought or conception; concrete embodiment or example, as of some quality

10. Shapenoun

    dress for disguise; guise

11. Shapenoun

    a rolled or hammered piece, as a bar, beam, angle iron, etc., having a cross section different from merchant bar

12. Shapenoun

    a piece which has been roughly forged nearly to the form it will receive when completely forged or fitted

13. Etymology: [OE. shapen, schapen, AS. sceapian. The p. p. shapen is from the strong verb, AS. scieppan, scyppan, sceppan, p. p. sceapen. See Shape, n.]

Freebase(3.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shape

   The shape of an object located in some space is a geometrical description of the part of that space occupied by the object, as determined by its external boundary – abstracting from location and orientation in space, size, and other properties such as colour, content, and material composition. Mathematician and statistician David George Kendall writes: 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 and rotational effects are filtered out from an object.’ Simple shapes can be described by basic geometry objects such as a set of two or more points, a line, a curve, a plane, a plane figure, or a solid figure. Most shapes occurring in the physical world are complex. Some, such as plant structures and coastlines, may be so arbitrary as to defy traditional mathematical description – in which case they may be analyzed by differential geometry, or as fractals.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shape

   shāp, v.t. to form: to fashion: to adapt to a purpose: to regulate: to direct: to conceive.—v.i. (Shak.) to take shape, to become fit:—pa.p. shāped, (B.) shāp′en.—n. form or figure: external appearance: that which has form or figure: an appearance: particular nature: expression, as in words: a pattern: (cook.) a dish of rice, jelly, or the like cast in a mould and turned out when it has grown firm.—adjs. Shā′pable, Shape′able; Shaped, having a varied ornamental form; Shape′less, having no shape or regular form: (Shak.) effecting nothing.—ns. Shape′lessness; Shape′liness.—adj. Shape′ly, having shape or regular form: symmetrical.—ns. Shā′per, a metal planing machine, the tool with reciprocating motion; Shā′ping, representation, imagination.—Take shape, to assume a definite form or plan. [A.S. sceapan, scapan, to form, make; Ice. skapa, Ger. schaffen.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shape

   The lines and form of a vessel.--To shape a course. To assign the route to be steered in order to prosecute a voyage.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shape

   A perceived visual form.

   She loved her body shape and it was part of her natural confidence.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 5, 2020  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shape

   Song lyrics by shape -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by shape on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Body
   • Change
   • Concrete Representation
   • Good Health
   • High Command

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'shape' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1656

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'shape' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2243

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'shape' in Nouns Frequency: #583

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'shape' in Verbs Frequency: #693

Anagrams for shape »

1. phase

2. pesah

3. heaps

How to pronounce shape?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say shape in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of shape in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of shape in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of shape in a Sentence

1. Katsuhiko Saho:

   It allows people to walk or move while wearing it and people can put it on easily regardless of their body shape or size.

2. Christopher Paul Hasson:

   I have never hurt anyone in my life and I was not planning to in any way, shape or form.

3. William Shakespeare:

   Angels and ministers of grace defend us.Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damned,Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell,Be thy intents wicked, or charitable,Thou com'st in such a questionable shape,That I will speak to thee.

4. Prime Minister Viktor Orban:

   This will get its final shape when parliament approves it, but as for the eventual outcome, I can see a one-way street.

5. Chiaki Osaka:

   I was afraid to, one, get out of shape, and, two, I'm staying inside and working on my computer all day, i needed a change, and I needed structure to my life.

Popularity rank by frequency of use