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Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Derived terms 1.2.1.2 Translations 1.2.1.3 See also 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Verb 1.3.1.1 Synonyms 1.3.1.2 Derived terms 1.3.1.3 Translations

[ English

[ Pronunciation

• enPR: shāp, IPA: /ʃeɪp/, SAMPA: /SeIp/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -eɪp

[ Etymology 1

Old English sceap

[ Noun

Singular shape

Plural shapes

shape (plural shapes)

1. The status or condition of something

   • The used bookshop wouldn't offer much due to the poor shape of the book.

2. 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.

3. The appearance of something, especially its outline.

   • He cut a square shape out of the cake.

4. A figure with unspecified appearance; especially a geometric figure.

   • What shape shall we use for the cookies? Stars, circles, or diamonds?

[ Derived terms

contest shape in no shape to in no way, shape, or form in shape

out of shape shapeless shapely shape-shifter, shape-shifting

shipshape take shape the shape of things to come

[ Translations

status or condition

Chinese: 样子 (yàngzi) Czech: stav cs(cs) m., forma cs(cs) f. Dutch: staat nl(nl), status nl(nl) Finnish: kunto fi(fi) German: Zustand de(de) m., Form de(de) f.

Hebrew: מצב (he) (matsáv) m. Japanese: 様子 ja(ja), ようす ja(ja) (yōsu) Swedish: form sv(sv) c., tillstånd sv(sv) n. Telugu: స్థితి te(te)(sthiti)

condition of personal health, especially muscular health

Czech: forma cs(cs) f. Dutch: vorm nl(nl), conditie nl(nl)

Finnish: kunto fi(fi)

appearance or outline

Arabic: شكل (šakl) Chinese: 形狀, 形状 (xíngzhuàng) Czech: tvar cs(cs) m. Dutch: vorm nl(nl) Finnish: muoto fi(fi) French: forme fr(fr) f. German: Form de(de) f. Hebrew: צורה (he) (tsurá) f. Hungarian: alak hu(hu), forma hu(hu) Italian: forma it(it) f.

Japanese: 形, かたち (katachi); 型, かた (kata) Korean: 모양 (moyang) Polish: kształt pl(pl) m. Portuguese: forma pt(pt) f. Russian: форма ru(ru) (fórma) f. Slovene: oblika sl(sl) f. Spanish: forma es(es) f. Swedish: form sv(sv) c. Telugu: ఆకారం te(te)(aakaaram),ఆకృతి te(te) (aakruti)

figure

Chinese: 形状, 外形 (wàixíng) Czech: tvar cs(cs) m. Dutch: vorm nl(nl) Finnish: muoto fi(fi) French: forme fr(fr) f. German: Form de(de) f.

Hebrew: צורה (he) (tsurá) f. Japanese: 形 (かたち, katachi); 形状(けいじょう, keijō), 形態, けいたい (keitai) Slovene: oblika sl(sl) f. Swedish: form sv(sv) c. Telugu: ఆకారం te(te)(aakaaram),ఆకృతి te(te)(aakruti)

[ See also

• Appendix:Forms and shapes

[ Etymology 2

Old English scieppan

[ Verb

Infinitive to shape

Third person singular shapes

Simple past shaped

Past participle shaped or shapen

Present participle shaping

to shape (third-person singular simple present shapes, present participle shaping, simple past shaped, past participle shaped or shapen)

1. (transitive) To give something a shape and definition.

   • 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 thee discussion but above all he made his men learn to think for themselves and rely upon their own intellectual judgments.

[ Synonyms

• (give shape): form, mold

[ Derived terms

• shape up
• shape up or ship out

[ Translations

to give something a shape

Catalan: formar Chinese: 使成形 (shǐ chéngxíng) Czech: utvářet, formovat Esperanto: formi eo(eo) Finnish: muotoilla fi(fi), muovata fi(fi)

German: formen de(de) Hebrew: לעצב (he) (le`atsév) Ido: formacar Irish: cum ga(ga) Slovene: oblikovati