What does form mean?

What does form mean?. The world's largest and most trusted free online dictionary: definitions, synonyms, word origins, example sentences, word games, and more.

What does form mean? - The Free Dictionary

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[n] the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something(the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached)[v] create (as an entity)(social groups form everywhere They formed a co

form

form - The Free Dictionary

[n] the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
(the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached)

[v] create (as an entity)
(social groups form everywhere They formed a company)

[n] a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
(sculpture is a form of art what kinds of desserts are there?)

[v] to compose or represent:
(This wall forms the background of the stage setting The branches made a roof This makes a fine introduction)

[n] 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)

[v] develop into a distinctive entity
(our plans began to take shape)

[n] any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
(he could barely make out their shapes)

[v] give shape or form to
(shape the dough form the young child's character)

[n] 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)

[v] 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)

[n] the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance
(geometry is the mathematical science of shape)

[v] establish or impress firmly in the mind
(We imprint our ideas onto our children)

[n] the visual appearance of something or someone
(the delicate cast of his features)

[v] assume a form or shape
(the water formed little beads)

[n] a printed document with spaces in which to write
(he filled out his tax form)

[n] (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups
(a new strain of microorganisms)

[n] an arrangement of the elements in a composition or discourse
(the essay was in the form of a dialogue he first sketches the plot in outline form)

[n] a particular mode in which something is manifested
(his resentment took the form of extreme hostility)

[n] (physical chemistry) a distinct state of matter in a system; matter that is identical in chemical composition and physical state and separated from other material by the phase boundary
(the reaction occurs in the liquid phase of the system)

[n] a body of students who are taught together
(early morning classes are always sleepy)

[n] an ability to perform well
(he was at the top of his form the team was off form last night)

[n] a life-size dummy used to display clothes

[n] a mold for setting concrete
(they built elaborate forms for pouring the foundation)

Other vocabulary

f, f clef, f layer, f number, f region, f. d. roosevelt, f. g. banting, f. scott fitzgerald, f.i.s.c., fa, fa la, faa, fab, fabaceae, faberge, fabian, fabian society, fabiana, fabiana imbricata, fabianism, fable, fabled, fabric, fabricate, fabricated, fabrication, fabricator, fabulist, fabulous, fabulously, o, o level, o ring, o'brien, o'casey, o'clock, o'connor, o'er, o'flaherty, o'hara, o'keeffe, o'neill, o'toole, o. henry, o.d., o.e.d., o.k., oaf, oafish, oahu, oahu island, oak, oak apple, oak blight, oak chestnut, oak fern, oak leaf cluster, oak tree, oak-leaved goosefoot, oaken

Dictionary

A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically (or by consonantal root for Semitic languages or radical and stroke for ideographic languages), which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologies, pronunciations, translation, etc. It is a lexicographical reference that shows inter-relationships among the data.

A broad distinction is made between general and specialized dictionaries. Specialized dictionaries include words in specialist fields, rather than a complete range of words in the language. Lexical items that describe concepts in specific fields are usually called terms instead of words, although there is no consensus whether lexicology and terminology are two different fields of study. In theory, general dictionaries are supposed[citation needed] to be semasiological, mapping word to definition, while specialized dictionaries are supposed to be onomasiological, first identifying concepts and then establishing the terms used to designate them. In practice, the two approaches are used for both types. There are other types of dictionaries that do not fit neatly into the above distinction, for instance bilingual (translation) dictionaries, dictionaries of synonyms (thesauri), and rhyming dictionaries. The word dictionary (unqualified) is usually understood to refer to a general purpose monolingual dictionary.

There is also a contrast between prescriptive or descriptive dictionaries; the former reflect what is seen as correct use of the language while the latter reflect recorded actual use. Stylistic indications (e.g. "informal" or "vulgar") in many modern dictionaries are also considered by some to be less than objectively descriptive.

The first recorded dictionaries date back to Sumerian times around 2300 BCE, in the form of bilingual dictionaries, and the oldest surviving monolingual dictionaries are Chinese dictionaries c. 3rd century BCE. The first purely English alphabetical dictionary was A Table Alphabeticall, written in 1604, and monolingual dictionaries in other languages also began appearing in Europe at around this time. The systematic study of dictionaries as objects of scientific interest arose as a 20th-century enterprise, called lexicography, and largely initiated by Ladislav Zgusta. The birth of the new discipline was not without controversy, with the practical dictionary-makers being sometimes accused by others of having an "astonishing" lack of method and critical-self reflection.