form

plural forms · alternative forme

1. To do with shape.
   1. countablephysicaluncountableheadingThe shape or visible structure of a thing or person.

      Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.

      1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations

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      The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom.[…]Roaring, leaping, pouncing, the tempest raged about the wanderers, drowning and blotting out their forms with sandy spume.

      1892, James Yoxall, chapter 5, in The Lonely Pyramid

      As towns continue to grow, replanting vegetation has become a form of urban utopia and green roofs are spreading fast. Last year 1m square metres of plant-covered roofing was built in France, as much as in the US, and 10 times more than in Germany, the pioneer in this field.

      2013 May 10, Audrey Garric, “Urban canopies let nature bloom”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 22, page 30

      Synonyms: figure, shape

   2. countablephysicaluncountableheadingA thing that gives shape to other things as in a mold.

      Synonyms: cast, cookie cutter, mold, pattern

   3. countablephysicaluncountableheadingRegularity, beauty, or elegance.
   4. countablephysicaluncountableheadingThe inherent nature of an object; that which the mind itself contributes as the condition of knowing; that in which the essence of a thing consists.
   5. countablephysicaluncountableheadingCharacteristics not involving atomic components.
   6. countabledatedphysicaluncountableheadingA long bench with no back.

      In the hall. One large table, with frame. 10s. ij cobbordes 8s. j fourme, j chaire, and j kenninge measure, 12d.

      1585–1586 January 18, chapter LXIII, in [William Greenwell], editor, Wills and Inventories from the Registry at Durham. Part II (The Publications of the Surtees Society; XXXVIII), Durham: George Andrews, Durham; London: Whittaker and Co.; T. and W. Boone; Edinburgh: Blackwood and Sons, published 1860, →OCLC, page 132

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      And there with syr Launcelot wrapped his mantel aboute his arme wel and surely and by thenne they had geten a grete fourme oute of the halle and there with all they rasshed at the dore […].

      1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XX, Chapter iv, leaf 401v

      I can see the old schoolroom yet: the broken-down desks and the worn-out forms with knots in that got stuck into your backside[…].

      1981, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 10

      The prefect grabbed me by the shoulders and steered me down a passageway, and down another and finally through a door that led into a long, low dining-room crowded with loudly breakfasting boys sitting on long, shiny oak forms, as benches used to be called.

      2010, Stephen Fry, The Fry Chronicles: An Autobiography

   7. countablephysicaluncountablefine artsheadingThe boundary line of a material object. In painting, more generally, the human body.
   8. countablephysicaluncountablechemistryThe combination of planes included under a general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a closed solid.
2. To do with structure or procedure.
   1. countableuncountablesocialAn order of doing things, as in religious ritual.
   2. countableuncountablesocialEstablished method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula.

      Those whom form of laws Condemned to die.

      1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

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      [H]e sprang into the road, without previously going through the empty form of advising the driver of his intention, to pick [his hat] up.

      1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle

   3. countableuncountablesocialConstitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.; system.

      a republican form of government

      Synonyms: configuration

   4. countableuncountablesocialShow without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality; formality.

      a matter of mere form

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      Though well we may not pass upon his life Without the form of justice.

      c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii]

   5. archaiccountableuncountablesocialA class or rank in society.

      ladies of a high form

      a. 1716 (date written), [Gilbert] Burnet, edited by [Gilbert Burnet Jr.], Bishop Burnet’s History of His Own Time. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] Thomas Ward […], published 1724, →OCLC

   6. UKcountableuncountablesocialPast history (in a given area); a habit of doing something.

      As for the notion that it’s not how Sunak would have won, that doesn’t mean a whole lot coming from a guy whose recent form includes losing to Liz Truss.

      2023 July 4, Marina Hyde, “Who’s for political Bazball with Rishi? Voters? Tories? Anyone?”, in The Guardian

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      It's fair to say she has form on this: she has criticised David Cameron's proposal to create all-women shortlists for prospective MPs, tried to ban women wearing high heels at work as the resulting pain made them take time off work, and tried to reduce the point at which an abortion can take place from 24 to 21 weeks.

      2011 May 4, Jane Martinson, The Guardian

   7. countableuncountablesocialLevel of performance.

      The team's form has been poor this year.

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      The orchestra was on top form this evening.

      Synonyms: grade

   8. UKcountableuncountablesocialeducationA class or year of school pupils.
   9. UKcountabledateduncountablesocialeducationA numbered division grouping school students (usually every two years) in education between Years 1 and 13 (often preceded by an ordinal number to specify the form, as in sixth form).First known use 1550s

      From the sixth form will come the scholars and the administrators.

      1976, Ronald King, School and college: studies of post-sixteen education

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      Nathaniel: Maister, there is nobody to teach in the sixth form. Maister: What a thing is this? N: He is sick in bed. M: How do you know? N: One of the scholars in his house told me so.

      1653, Corderius, Colloquia scholastica Anglo-Latina, […] 1653, page 220

      I am a very weak, insufficient scholar, sitting on the lowest form in Thy great school-house, which is the whole world, and trying to spell out the mere letters of Thy alphabet […]

      1880, Charles Kingsley, Out of the Deep: Words for the Sorrowful, London: Macmillan & Co., page 190

      One other day after afternoon school, Mr. Percival came behind me and put his hand on me. "Let me see, what's your name? Which form are you in?[…]"

      1928, George Bickerstaff, The mayor, and other folk

3. countableuncountableA blank document or template to be filled in by the user.

   To apply for the position, complete the application form.

   Synonyms: formular

4. countableuncountableA specimen document to be copied or imitated.
5. countableuncountablegrammarA grouping of words which maintain grammatical context in different usages; the particular shape or structure of a word or part of speech.

   participial forms;  verb forms

6. countableuncountableThe den or home of a hare.

   Hares left their snug ‘forms’ in the cold grass.

   1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 275

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   Being one day a hunting, I found a Hare sitting in her forme[…].

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 29, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC

   The Egyptians therefore in their hieroglyphics expressed a melancholy man by a hare sitting in her form, as being a most timorous and solitary creature.

   1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 3, member 1, subsection 2

7. countableuncountablecomputingA window or dialogue box.

   Throughout this chapter we will work with a form in a new project.

   2010, Neil Smyth, C# Essentials

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   While it is quite amazing how much one can do with Visual Basic with the code attached to a single form, to take full advantage of VB you'll need to start using multiple forms and having the code on all the forms in your project interact.

   1998, Gary Cornell, Visual Basic 6 from the ground up, page 426

8. countableuncountablebiologyAn infraspecific rank.
9. countablehistoricaluncountablemediaThe type or other matter from which an impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a chase.

   And the form is inked, the paper is applied, the bed is slid, and the platen is levered down and the proof is printed.

   2010, Andrea Levy, The Long Song, Tinder Press (2017), page 382

10. countableuncountablegeometryA quantic.
11. countableuncountablefitnesshobbiesA specific way of performing a movement.

present singular third person forms · participle present forming · participle past formed · past formed · first person past singular formed · archaic present second person singular formest · past second person singular formed · archaic past second person singular formedst · present singular third person forms · archaic present singular third person formeth · past singular third person formed · past plural formed · past subjunctive formed · participle present forming · participle past formed · alternative forme

1. transitiveTo assume (a certain shape or visible structure).

   When you kids form a straight line I'll hand out the lollies.

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   Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.

   2013 May–June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, pages 206–7

2. transitiveTo give (a shape or visible structure) to a thing or person.

   Roll out the dough to form a thin sheet.

3. intransitiveTo take shape.

   When icicles start to form on the eaves you know the roads will be icy.

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   As we age, the major arteries of our bodies frequently become thickened with plaque, a fatty material with an oatmeal-like consistency that builds up along the inner lining of blood vessels. The reason plaque forms isn’t entirely known, but it seems to be related to high levels of cholesterol inducing an inflammatory response, which can also attract and trap more cellular debris over time.

   2013 July–August, Stephen P. Lownie, David M. Pelz, “Stents to Prevent Stroke”, in American Scientist

   Synonyms: take form

4. To put together or bring into being; assemble.

   The socialists did not have enough MPs to form a government.

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   Paul McCartney and John Lennon formed The Beatles in Liverpool in 1960.

5. transitivehuman sciencesTo create (a word) by inflection or derivation.

   By adding "-ness", you can form a noun from an adjective.

6. transitiveTo constitute, to compose, to make up.

   Teenagers form the bulk of extreme traffic offenders.

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   the diplomatic politicians[…]who formed by far the majority

   1795–1797, Edmund Burke, “(please specify |letter=1 to 4)”, in [Letters on a Regicide Peace], London: [Rivington]

   But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶[…]The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window at the old mare feeding in the meadow below by the brook, and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge,[…].

   1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC

   Insects form the biggest family group in nature's kingdom, and also the oldest.

   1948 May, Stanley Pashko, “The Biggest Family”, in Boys' Life, Volume 38, Number 5, Boy Scouts of America, ISSN 0006-8608, p.10

   Synonyms: compose

7. To mould or model by instruction or discipline.

   Singing in a choir helps to form a child's sociality.

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   1731–1735, Alexander Pope, Moral Essays 'Tis education forms the common mind.

   Thus formed for speed, he challenges the wind.

   1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

8. To provide (a hare) with a form.

   The melancholy hare is formed in brakes and briers.

   1612, Michael Drayton, chapter 2, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for M[athew] Lownes; I[ohn] Browne; I[ohn] Helme; I[ohn] Busbie, →OCLC

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   This is the time that the horseman are flung out, not having the cry to lead them to the death. When quadruped animals of the venery or hunting kind are at rest, the stag is said to be harboured, the buck lodged, the fox kennelled, the badger earthed, the otter vented or watched, the hare formed, and the rabbit set. When you find and rouse up the stag and buck, they are said to be imprimed: […]

   1819, John Mayer, The Sportsman's Directory, or Park and Gamekeeper's Companion

9. historicaltransitivebusinessTo treat (plates) to prepare them 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 later the plates or grids were 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.

1. abbreviationacronymuncountableAcronym of family, occupation, recreation, motivation, a set of potential topics of conversation for use by salespeople etc.