-form \-form\ [See Form, n.]
   A suffix used to denote in the form or shape of, resembling,
   etc.; as, valiform; oviform.
   [1913 Webster]

	

	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.
      [1913 Webster]

            The form of his visage was changed.   --Dan. iii.
                                                  19.
      [1913 Webster]

            And woven close close, both matter, form, and style.
                                                  --Milton.
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   2. Constitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.;
      system; as, a republican form of government.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of
      proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula; as, a
      form of prayer.
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            Those whom form of laws
            Condemned to die.                     --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain,
      trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality;
      formality; as, a matter of mere form.
      [1913 Webster]

            Though well we may not pass upon his life
            Without the form of justice.          --Shak.
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   5. Orderly arrangement; shapeliness; also, comeliness;
      elegance; beauty.
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            The earth was without form and void.  --Gen. i. 2.
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            He hath no form nor comeliness.       --Is. liii. 2.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. A shape; an image; a phantom.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. That by which shape is given or determined; mold; pattern;
      model.
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   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   9. The seat or bed of a hare.
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            As in a form sitteth a weary hare.    --Chaucer.
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   10. (Print.) The type or other matter from which an
       impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a
       chase.
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   11. (Fine Arts) The boundary line of a material object. In
       (painting), more generally, the human body.
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   12. (Gram.) The particular shape or structure of a word or
       part of speech; as, participial forms; verbal forms.
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   13. (Crystallog.) The combination of planes included under a
       general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a
       closed solid.
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   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.
       [1913 Webster]

   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.
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   16. (Biol.) The peculiar characteristics of an organism as a
       type of others; also, the structure of the parts of an
       animal or plant.
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   Good form or Bad form, the general appearance, condition
      or action, originally of horses, afterwards of persons;
      as, the members of a boat crew are said to be in good form
      when they pull together uniformly. The phrases are further
      used colloquially in description of conduct or manners in
      society; as, it is not good form to smoke in the presence
      of a lady.
      [1913 Webster]

	

	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.
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            God formed man of the dust of the ground. --Gen. ii.
                                                  7.
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            The thought that labors in my forming brain. --Rowe.
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   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.
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            'T is education forms the common mind. --Pope.
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            Thus formed for speed, he challenges the wind.
                                                  --Dryden.
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   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.
      [1913 Webster]

            The diplomatic politicians . . . who formed by far
            the majority.                         --Burke.
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   4. To provide with a form, as a hare. See Form, n., 9.
      [1913 Webster]

            The melancholy hare is formed in brakes and briers.
                                                  --Drayton.
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   5. (Gram.) To derive by grammatical rules, as by adding the
      proper suffixes and affixes.
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   6. (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.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

	

	Form \Form\, v. i.
   1. To take a form, definite shape, or arrangement; as, the
      infantry should form in column.
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   2. To run to a form, as a hare. --B. Jonson.
      [1913 Webster]

   To form on (Mil.), to form a lengthened line with reference
      to (any given object) as a basis.
      [1913 Webster]

	

	form
    n 1: the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a
         word that can be used to describe or identify something;
         "the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem
         and a list of inflections to be attached" [syn: form,
         word form, signifier, descriptor]
    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,
       form, 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: form,
       shape, pattern]
    4: any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline);
       "he could barely make out their shapes" [syn: shape,
       form, configuration, contour, conformation]
    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,
       form, flesh]
    6: the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its
       substance; "geometry is the mathematical science of shape"
       [syn: shape, form]
    7: the visual appearance of something or someone; "the delicate
       cast of his features" [syn: form, 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: form, 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 sketches the plot in outline form"
    11: a particular mode in which something is manifested; "his
        resentment took the form of extreme hostility"
    12: (physical chemistry) a distinct state of matter in a system;
        matter that is identical in chemical composition and
        physical state and separated from other material by the
        phase boundary; "the reaction occurs in the liquid phase of
        the system" [syn: phase, form]
    13: a body of students who are taught together; "early morning
        classes are always sleepy" [syn: class, form, grade,
        course]
    14: an ability to perform well; "he was at the top of his form";
        "the team was off form last night"
    15: a life-size dummy used to display clothes [syn: mannequin,
        manikin, mannikin, manakin, form]
    16: a mold for setting concrete; "they built elaborate forms for
        pouring the foundation"
    v 1: create (as an entity); "social groups form everywhere";
         "They formed a company" [syn: form, organize,
         organise]
    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: form, constitute, make]
    3: develop into a distinctive entity; "our plans began to take
       shape" [syn: form, take form, take shape, spring]
    4: give shape or form to; "shape the dough"; "form the young
       child's character" [syn: shape, form]
    5: make something, usually for a specific function; "She molded
       the rice balls carefully"; "Form cylinders from the dough";
       "shape a figure"; "Work the metal into a sword" [syn:
       shape, form, work, mold, mould, forge]
    6: establish or impress firmly in the mind; "We imprint our
       ideas onto our children" [syn: imprint, form]
    7: assume a form or shape; "the water formed little beads"

	

	650 Moby Thesaurus words for "form":
   Berkeleianism, Hegelianism, Kantianism, MO, Masan, Neoplatonism,
   Platonic form, Platonic idea, Platonism, Procrustean law, SOP,
   absolute idealism, accumulate, acquire, act, adjustment, algorithm,
   allocation, allomorph, allotment, anatomy, angle, animatism,
   animism, apparition, appear, appearance, apportionment, apprentice,
   approach, architectonics, architecture, arise, arrange,
   arrangement, array, arraying, aspect, assemble, astral,
   astral spirit, attack, attitude, background, background detail,
   bad condition, banshee, bearing, behavior, bienseance, bill, blank,
   block out, blood, bod, body, body-build, bones, brand, break,
   break in, breed, bring up, buckram, build, build up, building,
   built, burrow, bylaw, canon, canon form, carcass, carriage, carve,
   cast, cave, ceremonial, ceremoniousness, ceremony, character,
   chirograph, chisel, civility, clan, class, clay, clod, code,
   codify, coin, collation, collocation, color, combine,
   come together, commandment, common practice, complexion, compose,
   composition, compound, comprise, conceive, concoct, condition,
   conduct, configuration, conformation, conformity, consist of,
   constitute, constitution, construct, construction, contour,
   contract, contrive, control, convenance, convention,
   conventional usage, conventionalism, conventionality, cool off,
   corpus, correctness, couch, course, covert, create, creation,
   criterion, crystallize, cultivate, custom, cut, decency,
   decorative composition, decorative style, decorousness, decorum,
   decree, den, denomination, departed spirit, deploy, deployment,
   deportment, description, design, designation, detail, develop,
   devise, dictate, dictation, dictum, die, dignity, discipline,
   disembodied spirit, disposal, dispose, disposition, distribution,
   docket, document, dossier, draw up, dream up, drill, duppy, duty,
   dybbuk, earth, economy, edict, effect, effectuate, efform, eidolon,
   elaborate, elevate, embody, enactment, enter into, envisage,
   envision, erect, establish, etiquette, evolve, exercise,
   extrinsicality, extrude, fabric, fabricate, fabrication, facet,
   fall in, fall into line, fall into place, fall into rank,
   false image, fantasy, fashion, fashioning, feather, feature,
   fetch up, fettle, figure, file, fit, fix, flesh, foil,
   foreground detail, forge, forging, form of worship, formality,
   formalization, formalize, format, formation, formula, formulary,
   formulate, formulation, foster, found, frame, framework,
   fudge together, fugue form, function, gather around,
   general principle, genre, genus, gestalt, get, get up, getup,
   ghost, go into, golden rule, good condition, good form, grade,
   grain, grateful dead, gravity, groom, grow, guide, guideline,
   guiding principle, guise, habit, hant, harmonize, haunt, hew,
   hierarchize, hole, holograph, holy rite, house-train, housebreak,
   hulk, hylozoism, idealism, idolum, ilk, image, imagine, imago,
   immaterialism, immateriality, imperative, impersonality,
   impression, improve, inaugurate, incept, incorporate, incorporeal,
   incorporeal being, incorporeity, indite, install, institute,
   institution, instrument, intaglio, invent, join, jus, kidney, kin,
   kind, knead, knock out, label, lair, larva, last, law,
   law of nature, lay out, legal document, legal instrument,
   legal paper, legislation, lemures, lex, lick into shape, lied form,
   light, likeness, line, line of action, line up, lineaments, lines,
   liturgy, lodge, look, lot, make, make up, makeup, making, manes,
   manifestation, manner, manner of working, manners, manufacture,
   mark, marshal, marshaling, material, material body,
   materialization, materialize, matrix, matter of course, mature,
   maxim, means, measure, merge in, metaphysical idealism, method,
   methodize, methodology, mew, mint, mirage, mitzvah, mix, mode,
   mode of operation, mode of procedure, mode of worship, model,
   modus operandi, mold, molding, monistic idealism, moral, morph,
   morpheme, morphemics, morphology, motif, mould, mystery,
   national style, nature, negative, norm, norma, normalize, number,
   nurse, nurture, observance, office, official document, oni, order,
   order of nature, order of worship, ordering, ordinance, ordonnance,
   organic structure, organism, organization, organize, originate,
   ornamental motif, outline, pacify, panpsychism, paper, papers,
   parchment, patch together, pattern, patterning, period style,
   person, personal file, personalism, persuasion, phantasm,
   phantasma, phantasmagoria, phantom, phase, phasis, phasm,
   phenomenon, phylum, physical body, physique, piece together,
   place itself, placement, plan, plot, poltergeist, pomp, pomposity,
   pose, practice, precept, prefabricate, prepare, prescribed form,
   prescript, prescription, presence, primary form, primness,
   principium, principle, procedure, proceeding, process, produce,
   production, profile, project, propriety, protocol, psychism, punch,
   put in tune, put to school, put together, put up, quiet, race,
   raise, rally round, range itself, rank, ready, realize, rear,
   receipt, recipe, reference, regard, regimen, regimentation,
   regularize, regulate, regulation, rehearse, repair,
   repeated figure, respect, revenant, rigidness, rite, ritual,
   ritual observance, rituality, roll, rondo form, rough out,
   roughcast, roughhew, routine, routinize, rubric, rule, ruling, run,
   run up, sacrament, sacramental, scheme, scrip, script, scroll,
   sculpt, sculpture, seal, seeming, seemliness, semblance,
   send to school, serve as, service, set, set form, set up, setting,
   settled principle, setup, shade, shadow, shape, shape up, shaping,
   shoe last, show up, shrouded spirit, side, silhouette, simulacrum,
   skeleton, slant, social convention, social usage, solemnity,
   solipsism, soma, sonata allegro, sonata form, sort, species,
   specter, spectral ghost, spirit, spiritualism, spook, sprite,
   stamp, standard, standard operating procedure, standardize,
   standing order, standing orders, starchiness, state, statute,
   stiffness, stiltedness, strain, stripe, structure, structuring,
   style, stylization, subjectivism, symphonic form, syntax,
   synthesize, system, systematize, tack, tailor, take form,
   take in hand, take its place, take order, take rank, take shape,
   technique, tectonics, template, tenet, tenor, texture, the drill,
   the how, the like of, the likes of, the way of, theme, theophany,
   thermoform, tint, tissue, toccata form, tone, torso, total effect,
   touch, track, train, tranquilize, transcendental, tribe, trim,
   trunk, tunnel, turn, turn out, twist, type, unite in, universal,
   universal law, unsubstantiality, usage, variety, view, viewpoint,
   vision, visualize, waking dream, walking dead man, wandering soul,
   warp and woof, way, weave, web, weight, whomp up, wildest dream,
   wise, work, working principle, working rule, wraith, writ, write,
   writing, zombie

	

	FORM

    A 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 computers and workstations.

   (ftp://acm.princeton.edu/), (ftp://nikhefh.nikhef.nl/).

   Mailing list: .

   (1995-04-12)

	

	FORM, practice. The model of an instrument or legal-proceeding, containing 
the substance and the principal terms, to be used in accordance with the 
laws; or, it is the act of pursuing, in legal proceedings, and in the 
construction of legal instruments, the order required by law. Form is 
usually put in contradistinction to substance. For example, by the operation 
of the statute of 27 Eliz. c. 5, s. 1, all merely formal defects in 
pleading, except in dilatory pleas, are aided on general demurrer. 
     2. The difference between matter of form, and matter of substance, in 
general, under this statute, as laid down by Lord Hobart, is, that "that 
without which the right doth sufficiently appear to the court, is form;" but 
that any defect "by reason whereof the right appears not," is a defect in 
substance. Hob. 233. 
     3. A distinction somewhat more definite, is, that if the matter pleaded 
be in itself insufficient, without reference to the manner of pleading it, 
the defect is substantial; but that if the fault is in the manner of 
alleging it, the defect is formal. Dougl. 683. For example, the omission of 
a consideration in a declaration in assumpsit; or of the performance of a 
condition precedent, when such condition exists; of a conversion of property 
of the plaintiff, in trover; of knowledge in the defendant, in an action for 
mischief done by his dog of malice, in action for malicious prosecution, and 
the like, are all defects in substance. On the other hand, duplicity; a 
negative pregnant; argumentative pleading; a special plea, amounting to the 
general issue; omission of a day, when time is immaterial; of a place, in 
transitory actions, and the like, are only faults in form. Bac. Ab. Pleas, 
&c. N 5, 6; Com. Dig. Pleader, Q 7; 10 Co. 95 a; 2 Str. 694 Gould; Pl. c. 9, 
Sec. 17, 18; 1 Bl. Com. 142. 
     4. At the same time that fastidious objections against trifling errors 
of form, arising from mere clerical mistakes, are not encouraged or 
sanctioned by the courts, it has been justly observed, that "infinite 
mischief has been produced by the facility of the courts in overlooking 
matters of form; it encourages carelessness, and places ignorance too much 
upon a footing with knowledge amongst those who practice the drawing of 
pleadings." 1 B. & P. 59; 2 Binn. Rep. 434. See, generally, Bouv. Inst. 
Index, h.t.