Shape

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Shape, v. t. [OE. shapen, schapen, AS. sceapian. The p. p. shapen is from the strong verb, AS. scieppan, scyppan, sceppan, p. p. sceapen. See Shape, n.].

•  To form or create; especially, to mold or make into a particular form; to give proper form or figure to.  [1913 Webster]

  "I was shapen in iniquity."  [1913 Webster]

  "Grace shaped her limbs, and beauty decked her face."  [1913 Webster]
•  To adapt to a purpose; to regulate; to adjust; to direct; as, to shape the course of a vessel.  [1913 Webster]

  "To the stream, when neither friends, nor force,
  Nor speed nor art avail, he shapes his course."  [1913 Webster]

  "Charmed by their eyes, their manners I acquire,
  And shape my foolishness to their desire."  [1913 Webster]
•  To imagine; to conceive; to call forth (ideas).  [1913 Webster]

  "Oft my jealousy
  Shapes faults that are not."  [1913 Webster]
•  To design; to prepare; to plan; to arrange.  [1913 Webster]

  "When shapen was all this conspiracy,
  From point to point."  [1913 Webster]

  "I will early shape me therefor."  [1913 Webster]

Shaping machine. (Mach.) Same as Shaper. -- To shape one's self, to prepare; to make ready. [Obs.]

Shape, v. i. 

 To suit; to be adjusted or conformable.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Shape, n. [OE. shap, schap, AS. sceap in gesceap creation, creature, fr. the root of scieppan, scyppan, sceppan, to shape, to do, to effect; akin to OS. giskeppian, OFries. skeppa, D. scheppen, G. schaffen, OHG. scaffan, scepfen, skeffen, Icer. skapa, skepja, Dan. skabe, skaffe, Sw. skapa, skaffa, Goth. gaskapjan, and perhaps to E. shave, v. Cf. -ship.].

•  Character or construction of a thing as determining its external appearance; outward aspect; make; figure; form; guise; as, the shape of a tree; the shape of the head; an elegant shape.  [1913 Webster]

  "He beat me grievously, in the shape of a woman."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which has form or figure; a figure; an appearance; a being.  [1913 Webster]

  "Before the gates three sat,
  On either side, a formidable shape."  [1913 Webster]
•  A model; a pattern; a mold.  [1913 Webster]
•  Form of embodiment, as in words; form, as of thought or conception; concrete embodiment or example, as of some quality.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Dress for disguise; guise.  [1913 Webster]

  "Look better on this virgin, and consider
  This Persian shape laid by, and she appearing
  In a Greekish dress."  [1913 Webster]
•  A rolled or hammered piece, as a bar, beam, angle iron, etc., having a cross section different from merchant bar.  [1913 Webster]

To take shape, to assume a definite form.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Shape, abbr. Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

Shape, n. & v.
--n.
1 the total effect produced by the outlines of a thing.
2 the external form or appearance of a person or thing.
3 a specific form or guise.
4 a description or sort or way (not on offer in any shape or form).
5 a definite or proper arrangement (must get our ideas into shape).
6 a condition, as qualified in some way (in good shape; in poor shape). b (when unqualified) good condition (back in shape).
7 a person or thing as seen, esp. indistinctly or in the imagination (a shape emerged from the mist).
8 a mould or pattern.
9 a jelly etc. shaped in a mould.
10 a piece of material, paper, etc., made or cut in a particular form.
--v.
1 tr. give a certain shape or form to; fashion, create.
2 tr. (foll. by to) adapt or make conform.
3 intr. give signs of a future shape or development.
4 tr. frame mentally; imagine.
5 intr. assume or develop into a shape.
6 tr. direct (one's life, course, etc.).

Idiom

lick (or knock) into shape make presentable or efficient. shape up 1 take a (specified) form.
2 show promise; make good progress. shape up well be promising.

Derivative

shapable adj. (also shapeable). shaped adj. (also in comb.). shaper n.

Etymology

OE gesceap creation f. Gmc

THESAURUS

Shape

Masan, Platonic form, Platonic idea, accommodate, accommodate with, accord, adapt, adapt to, adjust, adjust to, adjustment, aesthetic form, affect, agree with, anatomy, angle, apparition, appearance, archetype, architectonics, architecture, aroma, arrange, arrangement, art form, aspect, assemble, assimilate to, astral, astral spirit, attribute, bad condition, badge, bake, banshee, be guided by, bend, block out, blood, body, body-build, brand, breed, build, building, cachet, calculate, carve, case, cast, change, character, characteristic, chime in with, chisel, clan, coin, color, complexion, comply, comply with, compose, composition, compound, conceit, conceive, conceptualize, concert, concoct, condition, configuration, conform, conformation, constitution, construct, construction, contours, contrive, control, correct, correspond, create, creation, cut, cut out, decree, define, denomination, departed spirit, description, design, designation, determine, develop, devise, differentia, differential, discipline, disembodied spirit, disguise, distinctive feature, dream up, duppy, dybbuk, earmark, effect, efform, eidolon, elaborate, embody in words, erect, estate, evolve, experience imaginatively, express, extrude, fabric, fabricate, fabrication, facet, fall in with, false image, fancy, fantasize, fantasy, fashion, fashioning, feather, feature, fettle, fictionalize, figuration, figure, fire, fit, fitness, fix, flavor, follow, forecast, forge, forging, form, formalize, format, formation, formulate, found, frame, fudge together, gear to, genre, genus, gestalt, get up, getup, ghost, glaze, go by, good condition, govern, grain, grateful dead, guide, guise, gust, hack, hallmark, hant, harmonize, hatch, haunt, hew, ideate, idiocrasy, idiosyncrasy, idolum, ilk, image, imagine, imago, immateriality, impress, impression, improve, incorporeal, incorporeal being, incorporeity, index, indite, individualism, influence, inner form, intend, invent, keynote, kidney, kilter, kin, kind, knead, knock out, label, larva, lay out, lay plans, layout, lemures, lick into shape, light, likeness, line, lineaments, lines, look, lot, make, make a projection, make arrangements, make conform, make up, makeup, making, manes, manner, mannerism, manufacture, mark, marking, materialization, materialize, matrix, mature, meet, methodize, mint, mirage, modality, mode, model, modify, mold, molding, mould, nature, number, observe, odor, oni, order, organic structure, organism, organization, organize, originate, particularity, patch together, pattern, patterning, peculiarity, person, persuasion, phantasm, phantasma, phantasmagoria, phantom, phase, phasis, phasm, phenomenon, phylum, physique, piece together, plan, plan ahead, poltergeist, pot, prearrange, prefabricate, prepare, presence, proceed, produce, production, profile, program, progress, project, property, prototype, put, put together, put up, quality, quirk, race, raise, rationalize, rear, reconcile, rectify, reference, regard, regulate, remodel, repair, respect, revenant, rough out, roughcast, rub off corners, run up, savor, schedule, schematize, sculpt, sculpture, seal, seeming, semblance, set, set up, settle, setup, shade, shadow, shape up, shaping, show improvement, shrouded spirit, side, significant form, silhouette, simulacrum, singularity, slant, smack, sort, specialty, species, specter, spectral ghost, spirit, spook, sprite, stamp, state, status, straighten, strain, stripe, structure, structuring, style, suit, suppose, systematize, tailor, taint, take form, take shape, tally with, tang, taste, tectonics, tenor, texture, the like of, the likes of, theophany, thermoform, think up, throw, tissue, token, tone, total effect, trait, tribe, trick, trim, turn, turn a pot, twist, type, unsubstantiality, variety, view, viewpoint, vision, waking dream, walking dead man, wandering soul, warp and woof, way, weave, web, whack, whomp up, wildest dream, wise, word, work, work out, work up, wraith, write, yield, zombie

ROGET THESAURUS

Shape

Form

N form, figure, shape, conformation, configuration, make, formation, frame, construction, cut, set, build, trim, cut of one's jib, stamp, type, cast, mold, fashion, contour, structure, plasmature, feature, lineament, turn, phase, posture, attitude, pose, morphism, isomorphism, forming, formation, figuration, efformation, sculpture, plasmation, formed, plastic, fictile, formative, fluid, plasmic, isomorphous, pleomorphic, protean, changeable.

VB form, shape, figure, fashion, efform, carve, cut, chisel, hew, cast, rough hew, rough cast, sketch, block out, hammer out, trim, lick into shape, put into shape, model, knead, work up into, set, mold, sculpture, cast, stamp, build.

Appearance

N appearance, phenomenon, sight, spectacle, show, premonstration, scene, species, view, coup d'oeil, lookout, outlook, prospect, vista, perspective, bird's-eye view, scenery, landscape, picture, tableau, display, exposure, mise en sc ne, rising of the curtain, phantasm, phantom, pageant, spectacle, peep-show, raree-show, gallanty-show, ombres chinoises, magic lantern, phantasmagoria, dissolving views, biograph, cinematograph, moving pictures, panorama, diorama, cosmorama, georama, coup de theatre, jeu de theatre, pageantry, insignia, aspect, angle, phase, phasis, seeming, shape, guise, look, complexion, color, image, mien, air, cast, carriage, port, demeanor, presence, expression, first blush, face of the thing, point of view, light, lineament feature trait lines, outline, outside, contour, face, countenance, physiognomy, visage, phiz, cast of countenance, profile, tournure, cut of one s jib, metoposcopy, outside, apparent, seeming, ostensible, on view, apparently, to all seeming, to all appearance, ostensibly, seemingly, as it seems, on the face of it, prima facie, at the first blush, at first sight, in the eyes of, to the eye, editio princeps.