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form |
7 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Form \Form\, v. t. (Elec.) To treat (plates) so as to bring them to fit condition 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 now the plates or grids are 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. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: form \form\ [See {Form}, n.] A suffix used to denote in the form or shape of resembling, etc.; as valiform; oviform. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Form \Form\ (f[=o]rm; in senses 8 & 9, often f[=o]rm in England), n. [OE. & F. forme, fr L. forma; cf Skr. dhariman Cf {Firm}.] 1. The shape and structure of anything as distinguished from the material of which it is composed; particular disposition or arrangement of matter, giving it individuality or distinctive character; configuration; figure; external appearance. The form of his visage was changed. --Dan. iii. 19. And woven close close both matter, form and style. --Milton. 2. Constitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.; system; as a republican form of government. 3. Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula; as a form of prayer. Those whom form of laws Condemned to die. --Dryden. 4. Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality; formality; as a matter of mere form Though well we may not pass upon his life Without the form of justice. --Shak. 5. Orderly arrangement; shapeliness; also comeliness; elegance; beauty. The earth was without form and void. --Gen. i. 2. He hath no form nor comeliness. --Is. liii 2. 6. A shape; an image; a phantom. 7. That by which shape is given or determined; mold; pattern; model. 8. A long seat; a bench; hence a rank of students in a school; a class; also a class or rank in society. ``Ladies of a high form.'' --Bp. Burnet. 9. The seat or bed of a hare. As in a form sitteth a weary hare. --Chaucer. 10. (Print.) The type or other matter from which an impression is to be taken arranged and secured in a chase. 11. (Fine Arts) The boundary line of a material object. In painting, more generally, the human body. 12. (Gram.) The particular shape or structure of a word or part of speech; as participial forms; verbal forms. 13. (Crystallog.) The combination of planes included under a general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a closed solid. 14. (Metaph.) That assemblage or disposition of qualities which makes a conception, or that internal constitution which makes an existing thing to be what it is -- called essential or substantial form and contradistinguished from matter; hence active or formative nature; law of being or activity; subjectively viewed, an idea; objectively, a law. 15. Mode of acting or manifestation to the senses or the intellect; as water assumes the form of ice or snow. In modern usage, the elements of a conception furnished by the mind's own activity, as contrasted with its object or condition, which is called the matter; subjectively, a mode of apprehension or belief conceived as dependent on the constitution of the mind; objectively, universal and necessary accompaniments or elements of every object known or thought of 16. (Biol.) The peculiar characteristics of an organism as a type of others also the structure of the parts of an animal or plant. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Form \Form\, v. i. 1. To take a form definite shape, or arrangement; as the infantry should form in column. 2. To run to a form as a hare. --B. Jonson {To form on} (Mil.), to form a lengthened line with reference to (any given object) as a basis. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Form \Form\ (f[^o]rm), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Formed} (f[^o]rmd); p. pr & vb n. {Forming}.] [F. former, L. formare, fr forma. See {Form}, n.] 1. To give form or shape to to frame; to construct; to make to fashion. God formed man of the dust of the ground. --Gen. ii 7. The thought that labors in my forming brain. --Rowe. 2. To give a particular shape to to shape, mold, or fashion into a certain state or condition; to arrange; to adjust also to model by instruction and discipline; to mold by influence, etc.; to train. 'T is education forms the common mind. --Pope. Thus formed for speed, he challenges the wind. --Dryden. 3. To go to make up to act as constituent of to be the essential or constitutive elements of to answer for to make the shape of -- said of that out of which anything is formed or constituted, in whole or in part The diplomatic politicians . . . who formed by far the majority. --Burke. 4. To provide with a form as a hare. See {Form}, n., 9. The melancholy hare is formed in brakes and briers. --Drayton. 5. (Gram.) To derive by grammatical rules as by adding the proper suffixes and affixes. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: form n 1: the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word "the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached" [syn: {word form}] 2: a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality; "sculpture is a form of art"; "what kinds of desserts are there?" [syn: {kind}, {sort}, {variety}] 3: a perceptual structure; "the composition presents problems for students of musical form"; "a visual pattern must include not only objects but the spaces between them" [syn: {shape}, {pattern}] 4: any spatial attribute (especially as defined by outline); "he could barely make out their shapes through the smoke" [syn: {shape}, {configuration}, {contour}] 5: alternative names for the body of a human being "Leonardo studied the human body"; "he has a strong physique"; "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" [syn: {human body}, {physical body}, {material body}, {soma}, {build}, {figure}, {physique}, {anatomy}, {shape}, {bod}, {chassis}, {frame}, {flesh}] 6: the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance; "geometry is the mathematical science of shape" [syn: {shape}] 7: the visual appearance of something or someone "the delicate cast of his features" [syn: {shape}, {cast}] 8: a printed document with spaces in which to write; "he filled out his tax form" 9: (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups; "a new strain of microorganisms" [syn: {variant}, {strain}, {var.}] 10: an arrangement of the elements in a composition or discourse; "the essay was in the form of a dialogue"; "he first skethes the plot in outline form" 11: a particular mode in which something is manifested; "his resentment took the form of extreme hostility" 12: a body of students who are taught together; "early morning classes are always sleepy" [syn: {class}, {grade}] 13: an ability to perform well "he was at the top of his form"; "the team was off form last night" 14: a life-size dummy used to display clothes [syn: {mannequin}, {manikin}, {mannikin}, {manakin}] 15: a mold for setting concrete; "they built elaborate forms for pouring the foundation" v 1: create, as of a social group or a company, for example [syn: {organize}] 2: to compose or represent:"This wall forms the background of the stage setting"; "The branches made a roof"; "This makes a fine introduction" [syn: {constitute}, {make}] 3: develop into a distinctive entity; "our plans began to take shape" [syn: {take form}, {take shape}, {spring}] 4: cause to shape or form "shape a bun"; "shape a ball from the dough" [syn: {shape}] 5: make something usually for a specific function; "She molded the riceballs carefully"; "Form the dough into cylinders" [syn: {shape}, {mold}, {mould}, {forge}] 6: establish or impress firmly in the mind; "We imprint our ideas onto our children" [syn: {imprint}] 7: give shape to "form the clay into a head" [ant: {deform}] From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: FORMA system written by Jos Vermaseren in 1989 for fast handling of very large-scale {symbolic mathematics} problems. FORM is a descendant of {Schoonschip} and is available for many {personal computer}s and {workstation}s. {(ftp://acm.princeton.edu/)}, {(ftp://nikhefh.nikhef.nl/)}. Mailing list:
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