Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Figure \Fig"ure\ (?; 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.

   3. A pattern in cloth, paper, or other manufactured article;
      a design wrought out in a fabric; as, the muslin was of a
      pretty figure.

   4. (Geom.) A diagram or drawing; made to represent a
      magnitude or the relation of two or more magnitudes; a
      surface or space inclosed on all sides; -- called
      superficial when inclosed by lines, and solid when
      inclosed by surface; any arrangement made up of points,
      lines, angles, surfaces, etc.

   5. The appearance or impression made by the conduct or carrer
      of a person; as, a sorry figure.

            I made some figure there.             --Dryden.

            Gentlemen of the best figure in the county.
                                                  --Blackstone.

   6. Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous
      representation; splendor; show.

            That he may live in figure and indulgence. --Law.

   7. A character or symbol representing a number; a numeral; a
      digit; as, 1, 2,3, etc.

   8. Value, as expressed in numbers; price; as, the goods are
      estimated or sold at a low figure. [Colloq.]

            With nineteen thousand a year at the very lowest
            figure.                               --Thackeray.

   9. A person, thing, or action, conceived of as analogous to
      another person, thing, or action, of which it thus becomes
      a type or representative.

            Who is the figure of Him that was to come. --Rom. v.
                                                  14.

   10. (Rhet.) A mode of expressing abstract or immaterial ideas
       by words which suggest pictures or images from the
       physical world; pictorial language; a trope; hence, any
       deviation from the plainest form of statement.

             To represent the imagination under the figure of a
             wing.                                --Macaulay.

   11. (Logic) The form of a syllogism with respect to the
       relative position of the middle term.

   12. (Dancing) Any one of the several regular steps or
       movements made by a dancer.

   13. (Astrol.) A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the
       astrological houses. --Johnson.

   14. (Music)
       (a) Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as
           a group of chords, which produce a single complete
           and distinct impression. --Grove.
       (b) A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a
           strain or passage; a musical or motive; a florid
           embellishment.

   Note: Figures are often written upon the staff in music to
         denote the kind of measure. They are usually in the
         form of a fraction, the upper figure showing how many
         notes of the kind indicated by the lower are contained
         in one measure or bar. Thus, 2/4 signifies that the
         measure contains two quarter notes. The following are
         the principal figures used for this purpose:

Figure \Fig"ure\, v. t.
   1. To make a figure; to be distinguished or conspicious; as,
      the envoy figured at court.

            Sociable, hospitable, eloquent, admired, figuring
            away brilliantly.                     --M. Arnold.

   2. To calculate; to contrive; to scheme; as, he is figuring
      to secure the nomination. [Colloq.]

Figure \Fig"ure\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Figured}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Figuring}.] [F. figurer, L. figurare, fr. figura. See
   {Figure}, n.]
   1. To represent by a figure, as to form or mold; to make an
      image of, either palpable or ideal; also, to fashion into
      a determinate form; to shape.

            If love, alas! be pain I bear,

            No thought can figure, and no tongue declare.Prior.

   2. To embellish with design; to adorn with figures.

            The vaulty top of heaven Figured quite o'er with
            burning meteors.                      --Shak.

   3. To indicate by numerals; also, to compute.

            As through a crystal glass the figured hours are
            seen.                                 --Dryden.

   4. To represent by a metaphor; to signify or symbolize.

            Whose white vestments figure innocence. --Shak.

   5. To prefigure; to foreshow.

            In this the heaven figures some event. --Shak.

   6. (Mus.)
      (a) To write over or under the bass, as figures or other
          characters, in order to indicate the accompanying
          chords.
      (b) To embellish.

   {To figure out}, to solve; to compute or find the result of.
      

   {To figure up}, to add; to reckon; to compute the amount of.

Source : WordNet®

figure
     v 1: judge to be probable [syn: {calculate}, {estimate}, {reckon},
           {count on}, {forecast}]
     2: be or play a part of or in; "Elections figure prominently in
        every government program"; "How do the elections figure in
        the current pattern of internal politics?" [syn: {enter}]
     3: imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind; "I can't see him on
        horseback!"; "I can see what will happen"; "I can see a
        risk in this strategy" [syn: {visualize}, {visualise}, {envision},
         {project}, {fancy}, {see}, {picture}, {image}]
     4: make a mathematical calculation or computation [syn: {calculate},
         {cipher}, {cypher}, {compute}, {work out}, {reckon}]
     5: understand; "He didn't figure her"

figure
     n 1: a diagram or picture illustrating textual material; "the
          area covered can be seen from Figure 2" [syn: {fig}]
     2: 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}, {physique},
         {anatomy}, {shape}, {bod}, {chassis}, {frame}, {form}, {flesh}]
     3: one of the elements that collectively form a system of
        numbers; "0 and 1 are digits" [syn: {digit}]
     4: a model of a bodily form (especially of a person); "he made
        a figure of Santa Claus"
     5: a well-known or notable person; "they studied all the great
        names in the history of France"; "she is an important
        figure in modern music" [syn: {name}, {public figure}]
     6: a combination of points and lines and planes that form a
        visible palpable shape
     7: an amount of money expressed numerically; "a figure of $17
        was suggested"
     8: the impression produced by a person; "he cut a fine figure";
        "a heroic figure"
     9: the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite
        quantity of units or individuals; "he had a number of
        chores to do"; "the number of parameters is small"; "the
        figure was about a thousand" [syn: {number}]
     10: language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense [syn: {trope},
          {figure of speech}, {image}]
     11: a unitary percept having structure and coherence that is the
         object of attention and that stands out against a ground
         [ant: {ground}]
     12: a decorative or artistic work; "the coach had a design on
         the doors" [syn: {design}, {pattern}]
     13: a predetermined set of movements in dancing or skating; "she
         made the best score on compulsory figures"