1fig·ure 
/ˈfɪgjɚ, Brit ˈfɪgə/ noun
plural fig·ures /ˈfɪgjɚ, Brit ˈfɪgə/ noun [count] 1 a : a symbol that represents a number : digit
▪ He has a six-figure salary. [=he has a salary of at least $100,000]
b : a value that is expressed in numbers
▪ Are you sure of your figures? ▪ I came up with a very different figure. ▪ No precise/exact/official figures are available yet. ▪ The company had yearly sales figures of half a million units. ◊If you have a good head for figures, you are good at making calculations with numbers. If you have no head for figures, you are bad at making calculations with numbers.
▪ She has a good head for figures, so I'm not surprised that she became an accountant. 2 a : a person or animal that can be seen only as a shape or outline
▪ We could barely make out some figures moving in the mist.
b : the shape or form of a person's body
▪ the human figure ▪ the male/female figure ◊Figure in this sense usually refers to women rather than men.
▪ She has a very shapely figure. [=body] ▪ a full figure ▪ a slim, youthful figure ▪ She likes to wear clothes that show off her figure.
c ◊The phrases a fine figure of a man and (less commonly) a fine figure of a woman describe someone who is tall and has a strong and well-formed body.
▪ The football coach is a fine figure of a man. 3 : a drawing, scupture, etc., that represents the form of a person or animal
▪ The vase is decorated with figures of birds and fish. ▪ The walls of the cave are covered with drawings of human and animal figures. ▪ a male/female figure ▪ a collection of bronze/carved figures ▪ a cardboard figure ▪ a cartoon figure — see also stick figure 4 : a person who has a specified status or who is regarded in a specified way
▪ a noted/familiar/popular/prominent sports figure ▪ He began by writing letters to well-known figures in journalism. ▪ a mysterious/shadowy figure ▪ She's a key figure in the organization. ▪ He has become a figure of contempt. [=someone who is regarded with contempt] ▪ a figure of fun/ridicule [=someone who is laughed at or ridiculed] ▪ a figure of authority = an authority figure [=a person who has authority over other people] — see also action figure, father figure, mother figure 5 a : a diagram or picture
▪ Turn your attention to the figure on page 15. — abbr. fig.
b mathematics : a combination of points, lines, or surfaces in geometry
▪ A circle is a closed plane figure. ▪ geometric figures
▪ He has a six-figure salary. [=he has a salary of at least $100,000]
b : a value that is expressed in numbers
▪ Are you sure of your figures? ▪ I came up with a very different figure. ▪ No precise/exact/official figures are available yet. ▪ The company had yearly sales figures of half a million units. ◊If you have a good head for figures, you are good at making calculations with numbers. If you have no head for figures, you are bad at making calculations with numbers.
▪ She has a good head for figures, so I'm not surprised that she became an accountant.
▪ We could barely make out some figures moving in the mist.
b : the shape or form of a person's body
▪ the human figure ▪ the male/female figure ◊Figure in this sense usually refers to women rather than men.
▪ She has a very shapely figure. [=body] ▪ a full figure ▪ a slim, youthful figure ▪ She likes to wear clothes that show off her figure.
c ◊The phrases a fine figure of a man and (less commonly) a fine figure of a woman describe someone who is tall and has a strong and well-formed body.
▪ The football coach is a fine figure of a man.
▪ The vase is decorated with figures of birds and fish. ▪ The walls of the cave are covered with drawings of human and animal figures. ▪ a male/female figure ▪ a collection of bronze/carved figures ▪ a cardboard figure ▪ a cartoon figure — see also stick figure
▪ a noted/familiar/popular/prominent sports figure ▪ He began by writing letters to well-known figures in journalism. ▪ a mysterious/shadowy figure ▪ She's a key figure in the organization. ▪ He has become a figure of contempt. [=someone who is regarded with contempt] ▪ a figure of fun/ridicule [=someone who is laughed at or ridiculed] ▪ a figure of authority = an authority figure [=a person who has authority over other people] — see also action figure, father figure, mother figure
▪ Turn your attention to the figure on page 15. — abbr. fig.
b mathematics : a combination of points, lines, or surfaces in geometry
▪ A circle is a closed plane figure. ▪ geometric figures
