1. [n]  the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance; "geometry is the mathematical science of shape"
2. [n]  a mold for setting concrete; "they built elaborate forms for pouring the foundation"
3. [n]  a life-size dummy used to display clothes
4. [n]  the visual appearance of something or someone; "the delicate cast of his features"
5. [n]  a particular mode in which something is manifested; "his resentment took the form of extreme hostility"
6. [n]  any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline); "he could barely make out their shapes through the smoke"
7. [n]  an ability to perform well; "he was at the top of his form"; "the team was off form last night"
8. [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"
9. [n]  a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality; "sculpture is a form of art"; "what kinds of desserts are there?"
10. [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"
11. [n]  the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word; "the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached"
12. [n]  a printed document with spaces in which to write; "he filled out his tax form"
13. [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"
14. [n]  (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups; "a new strain of microorganisms"
15. [n]  a body of students who are taught together; "early morning classes are always sleepy"
16. [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"
17. [v]  give a shape or or form to; "shape the dough"
18. [v]  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"
19. [v]  give shape to; "form the clay into a head"
20. [v]  establish or impress firmly in the mind; "We imprint our ideas onto our children"
21. [v]  create, as of a social group or a company, for example
22. [v]  to compose or represent:"This wall forms the background of the stage setting"; "The branches made a roof"; "This makes a fine introduction"
23. [v]  develop into a distinctive entity; "our plans began to take shape"

Form
Description not available.

more details ...

1. \form\ [See {Form}, n.]
   A suffix used to denote in the form or shape of, resembling,
   etc.; as, valiform; oviform.
   

2. \Form\ (f[=o]rm; in senses 8 & 9, often f[=o]rm in
   England), n. [OE. & F. forme, fr. L. forma; cf. Skr.
   dhariman. Cf. {Firm}.]
   1. The shape and structure of anything, as distinguished from
      the material of which it is composed; particular
      disposition or arrangement of matter, giving it
      individuality or distinctive character; configuration;
      figure; external appearance.
            The form of his visage was changed.   --Dan. iii.
                                                  19.
            And woven close close, both matter, form, and style.
                                                  --Milton.
   2. Constitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.;
      system; as, a republican form of government.
   3. Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of
      proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula; as, a
      form of prayer.
            Those whom form of laws Condemned to die. --Dryden.
   4. Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain,
      trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality;
      formality; as, a matter of mere form.
            Though well we may not pass upon his life Without
            the form of justice.                  --Shak.
   5. Orderly arrangement; shapeliness; also, comeliness;
      elegance; beauty.
            The earth was without form and void.  --Gen. i. 2.
            He hath no form nor comeliness.       --Is. liii. 2.
   6. A shape; an image; a phantom.
   7. That by which shape is given or determined; mold; pattern;
      model.
   8. A long seat; a bench; hence, a rank of students in a
      school; a class; also, a class or rank in society.
      ``Ladies of a high form.'' --Bp. Burnet.
   9. The seat or bed of a hare.
            As in a form sitteth a weary hare.    --Chaucer.
   10. (Print.) The type or other matter from which an
       impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a
       chase.
   11. (Fine Arts) The boundary line of a material object. In
       painting, more generally, the human body.
   12. (Gram.) The particular shape or structure of a word or
       part of speech; as, participial forms; verbal forms.
   13. (Crystallog.) The combination of planes included under a
       general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a
       closed solid.
   14. (Metaph.) That assemblage or disposition of qualities
       which makes a conception, or that internal constitution
       which makes an existing thing to be what it is; -- called
       essential or substantial form, and contradistinguished
       from matter; hence, active or formative nature; law of
       being or activity; subjectively viewed, an idea;
       objectively, a law.
   15. Mode of acting or manifestation to the senses, or the
       intellect; as, water assumes the form of ice or snow. In
       modern usage, the elements of a conception furnished by
       the mind's own activity, as contrasted with its object or
       condition, which is called the matter; subjectively, a
       mode of apprehension or belief conceived as dependent on
       the constitution of the mind; objectively, universal and
       necessary accompaniments or elements of every object
       known or thought of.
   16. (Biol.) The peculiar characteristics of an organism as a
       type of others; also, the structure of the parts of an
       animal or plant.
   {Good form} or {Bad form}, the general appearance, condition
      or action, originally of horses, atterwards of persons;
      as, the members of a boat crew are said to be in good form
      when they pull together uniformly. The phrases are further
      used colloquially in description of conduct or manners in
      society; as, it is not good form to smoke in the presence
      of a lady.
   

3. \Form\ (f[^o]rm), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Formed} (f[^o]rmd);
   p. pr. & vb. n. {Forming}.] [F. former, L. formare, fr.
   forma. See {Form}, n.]
   1. To give form or shape to; to frame; to construct; to make;
      to fashion.
            God formed man of the dust of the ground. --Gen. ii.
                                                  7.
            The thought that labors in my forming brain. --Rowe.
   2. To give a particular shape to; to shape, mold, or fashion
      into a certain state or condition; to arrange; to adjust;
      also, to model by instruction and discipline; to mold by
      influence, etc.; to train.
            'T is education forms the common mind. --Pope.
            Thus formed for speed, he challenges the wind.
                                                  --Dryden.
   3. To go to make up; to act as constituent of; to be the
      essential or constitutive elements of; to answer for; to
      make the shape of; -- said of that out of which anything
      is formed or constituted, in whole or in part.
            The diplomatic politicians . . . who formed by far
            the majority.                         --Burke.
   4. To provide with a form, as a hare. See {Form}, n., 9.
            The melancholy hare is formed in brakes and briers.
                                                  --Drayton.
   5. (Gram.) To derive by grammatical rules, as by adding the
      proper suffixes and affixes.
   

4. \Form\, v. i.
   1. To take a form, definite shape, or arrangement; as, the
      infantry should form in column.
   2. To run to a form, as a hare. --B. Jonson.
   {To form on} (Mil.), to form a lengthened line with reference
      to (any given object) as a basis.
   

5. \Form\, v. t. (Elec.)
   To treat (plates) so as to bring them to fit condition for
   introduction into a storage battery, causing one plate to be
   composed more or less of spongy lead, and the other of lead
   peroxide. This was formerly done by repeated slow
   alternations of the charging current, but now the plates or
   grids are coated or filled, one with a paste of red lead and
   the other with litharge, introduced into the cell, and formed
   by a direct charging current.
   

A system written by Jos Vermaseren <[email protected]> in 1989 for fast handling of very large-scale symbolic mathematics problems. FORM is a descendant of Schoonschip and is available for many personal computers and workstations.

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