shape
noun
Shape — the outward arrangement of a thing, apart from what it is made of
Definition
The spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance; "geometry is the mathematical science of shape"
In depth
Shape is the spatial arrangement or outline of something, considered distinct from its material substance — the geometry of a thing rather than its composition. Two objects of entirely different material can share an identical shape, a fact that makes the word a powerful tool for abstraction and comparison.
Origin
The word descends from Old English gesceap, creation or form, related to the verb scieppan, to create or shape, the same ancient root behind the modern verb 'to shape.' That old connection between shaping and creating lingers faintly in the word, which still carries a trace of the idea that to give something shape is, in a small way, to bring it into being.
Usage examples
"The clouds shifted slowly into the shape of something almost recognizable before dissolving again."
"She could trace the shape of the old scar without looking, knowing it as well as her own handwriting."
"Grief, the therapist suggested, often takes the shape of whatever it can find to fill — anger, silence, even laughter."
How to use it
Shape works equally well in concrete physical description and in metaphor, where it often describes how an abstract experience — grief, ambition, a relationship — takes on a perceptible, almost tangible outline. It is slightly more casual and concrete than its near-synonym 'form.'
Related concepts
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