forshape

F4O1R1S1H4A1P3E1

verb

To metamorphose; change the shape of; transform.

“late 14th century, John Gower, Confessio Amantis Unkindelich he was transformed, That he which erst a man was formed, Into a woman was forshape, That was to him an angry jape.”

OriginMiddle English forshapen ← Old English forsċieppan ← Proto-West Germanic *fraskappjan →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

verbforshape (third-person singular simple present forshapes, present participle forshaping, simple past forshaped, past participle forshaped or forshapen)

present singular third person forshapes · participle present forshaping · past forshaped · participle past forshaped · participle past forshapen

  1. obsoletetransitiveTo metamorphose; change the shape of; transform.

    late 14th century, John Gower, Confessio Amantis Unkindelich he was transformed, That he which erst a man was formed, Into a woman was forshape, That was to him an angry jape.

  2. obsoletetransitiveTo put out of shape; distort; make misshapen; disfigure.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
form

Origin

  1. Proto-West Germanic*fraskappjan
  2. Old Englishforsċieppan
  3. Middle Englishforshapen
  4. Englishforshape

From Middle English forshapen, forschapen (“to transform”), from Old English forsċieppan, forsċeppan (“to transform”), from Proto-West Germanic *fraskappjan, equivalent to for- + shape. Cognate with German verschaffen (“to provide, supply, furnish”), Swedish förskapa (“to cut out”).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

forshape. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forshape

MLA

“forshape.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forshape. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forshape,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forshape.

Source: forshape on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.