Obs. [f. L. figūrāt- ppl. stem of figūrāre to FIGURE.]
1. trans. To give figure or shape to; to shape.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 265. The harder and more solide parts are figurated together, but not together perfected. For of the bones some are sooner perfected, some later. Ibid., 307. Sixe dayes it is in Milke … Twelue figurate the flesh.
1623. in Cockeram.
2. To present in figure, outline, or visible shape.
1704. Hearne, Duct. Hist. (1714), I. 38. So do Chronological Tables figurate to us the Series and Concatenation of Times: We see there, at once, the Rise of great Monarchies, the Progress they make by impetuous Conquests, and afterwards how they are canton’d and dismember’d, and finally dwindle away and disappear, to make Room for others that succeed ’em.
3. a. To represent by a figure or emblem; to typify. b. To speak of in a figure, or figuratively. c. To treat as figurative. d. To liken or compare to.
a. 1533. Coverdale, Lord’s Supper, 451. They did in their gesture and rite figurate a certain image of a sacrifice.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., V. Wks. 1856, I. 62. The glowe worme figurates my valour, which shineth brightest, in most darke, dismal, and horrid atchievements.
1609. Bible (Douay), Gen. xiv. Comm. Melchisedech bringing forth the Sacrament (or mysterie) of our Lords table, knew how to figurate his eternal Priesthood.
1654. Jer. Taylor, Real Pres., 274. The Fathers, and the Scriptures too, call the figure, by the name of the thing figurated.
b. 1643. R. Overton, Man Wholly Mortal (1675), iv. 60. It is well figurated in Scripture by sleepe.
c. a. 1806. S. Horsley, Serm. (1B11), 408. Those in latter time, who have improved upon St. Austin’s hint of figurating this passage.
d. c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fab., 22.
| This feinȝit Foxe may well bee figurate, | |
| To flatterers with pleasant words white. |
4. To furnish with figures of speech.
1652. Urquhart, Jewel, Wks. (1834), 292. There is neither definition, distribution, epitrochism, increment, caracterism, hypotyposis, or any scheme figurating a speech.
5. Math.: cf. FIGURATE a. 3 a and FIGURAL 2.
1674. Jeake, A Compleat Body of Arithmetick (1696), 289. To Figurate any Cossick is Cossically to multiply the same, be it Simple or Compound by it self to produce the Square, and that again by the Root to produce the Cube, &c.
Hence Figurated ppl. a.; in quots. = FIGURATE.
1642. F. Potter, Interpr. of No. 666, 195. The number 30 is a figurated number, because three times ten, or five times six, make this number.
1660. Ingelo, Bentivolio and Urania, II. 202. That which you call Soul ceaseth to be, as Musical Harmony vanisheth with Sound; and can no more subsist after Death then a Figure is able to remain after the dissolution of Figurated matter.
1848. Craig, Figurated, having a determinate form.
