form

/fˈɔɹm/ · 1 syllable

Meaning

noun

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”
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
“sculpture is a form of art”
a perceptual structure
“the composition presents problems for students of musical form”
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
“he could barely make out their shapes”
alternative names for the body of a human being
“Leonardo studied the human body”
the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance
“geometry is the mathematical science of shape”
the visual appearance of something or someone
“the delicate cast of his features”
a printed document with spaces in which to write
“he filled out his tax form”
(biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups
“a new strain of microorganisms”
an arrangement of the elements in a composition or discourse
“the essay was in the form of a dialogue”
a particular mode in which something is manifested
“his resentment took the form of extreme hostility”
(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”

verb

create (as an entity)
“social groups form everywhere”
to compose or represent
“This wall forms the background of the stage setting”
develop into a distinctive entity
“our plans began to take shape”
give shape or form to
“shape the dough”
make something, usually for a specific function
“She molded the rice balls carefully”
establish or impress firmly in the mind
“We imprint our ideas onto our children”
assume a form or shape
“the water formed little beads”

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