Part 134

Fig"u*rante` (? or ?), n. fem. [F.] A female figurant; esp., a ballet girl.

Fig"ur*ate (?), a. [L. figuratus, p. p. of figurare. See Figure.] 1. Of a definite form or figure.

Plants are all figurate and determinate, which inanimate bodies are not.

Bacon.

2. Figurative; metaphorical. [Obs.] Bale.

3. (Mus.) Florid; figurative; involving passing discords by the freer melodic movement of one or more parts or voices in the harmony; as, figurate counterpoint or descant.

Figurate counterpoint or descant (Mus.), that which is not simple, or in which the parts do not move together tone for tone, but in which freer movement of one or more parts mingles passing discords with the harmony; -- called also figural, figurative, and figured counterpoint or descant (although the term figured is more commonly applied to a bass with numerals written above or below to indicate the other notes of the harmony). -- Figurate numbers (Math.), numbers, or series of numbers, formed from any arithmetical progression in which the first term is a unit, and the difference a whole number, by taking the first term, and the sums of the first two, first three, first four, etc., as the successive terms of a new series, from which another may be formed in the same manner, and so on, the numbers in the resulting series being such that points representing them are capable of symmetrical arrangement in different geometrical figures, as triangles, squares, pentagons, etc. In the following example, the two lower lines are composed of figurate numbers, those in the second line being triangular, and represented thus: --

. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. . . . 1, 3, 6, 10, etc. . . . . . . . etc. 1, 4, 10, 20, etc . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fig"ur*a`ted (?), a. Having a determinate form.

Fig"ur*ate*ly (?), adv. In a figurate manner.

Fig`u*ra"tion (?), n. [L. figuratio.] 1. The act of giving figure or determinate form; determination to a certain form. Bacon.

2. (Mus.) Mixture of concords and discords.

Fig"ur*a*tive (?), a. [L. figurativus: cf. F. figuratif. See Figurative.] 1. Representing by a figure, or by resemblance; typical; representative.

This, they will say, was figurative, and served, by God's appointment, but for a time, to shadow out the true glory of a more divine sanctity.

Hooker.

2. Used in a sense that is tropical, as a metaphor; not literal; -- applied to words and expressions.

3. Abounding in figures of speech; flowery; florid; as, a highly figurative description.

4. Relating to the representation of form or figure by drawing, carving, etc. See Figure, n., 2.

They belonged to a nation dedicated to the figurative arts, and they wrote for a public familiar with painted form.

J. A. Symonds.

Figurative counterpoint or descant. See under Figurate.

-- Fig"ur*a*tive*ly, adv. -- Fig"ur*a*tive*ness, n.

Fig"ure (fg"r; 135), n. [F., figure, L. figura; akin to fingere to form, shape, feign. See Feign.] 1. The form of anything; shape; outline; appearance.

Flowers have all exquisite figures.

Bacon.

2. The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modeling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body; as, a figure in bronze; a figure cut in marble.

A coin that bears the figure of an angel.

Shak.