- Give shape or form to
"form the young child's character";
- shape
- Bring together into a structured whole; establish an organization
"They formed a company"; "social groups form everywhere";
- organize, organise [Brit]
- To compose or represent
"This wall forms the background of the stage setting";
- constitute, make
- Develop into a distinctive entity
"our plans began to form";
- take form, take shape, spring
- Make something, usually for a specific function
"Form cylinders from the dough";
- shape, work, mold [N. Amer], mould [Brit, Cdn], forge
- Assume a form or shape
"the water formed little beads"
- Establish or impress firmly in the mind
"The experience formed lasting memories";
- imprint
See also: acorn-shaped, awl-shaped, bacillar, bacillary, bacilliform, baculiform, bag-shaped, bar-shaped, basket-shaped, belt-shaped, biform, boot-shaped, bottle-shaped, botuliform, butterfly-shaped, button-shaped, catenulate, chainlike, claw-shaped, club-shaped, cowl-shaped, cross-shaped, die-cast, drum-like, drum-shaped, ductile, eel-shaped, fan-shaped, fig-shaped, football-shaped, foot-shaped, funnel-shaped, guitar-shaped, hammer-shaped, harp-shaped, hook-shaped, horn-shaped, hourglass-shaped, H-shaped, keel-shaped, lance-shaped, lancet-shaped, lip-shaped, L-shaped, lyre-shaped, malleable, molded [N. Amer], moulded [Brit, Cdn], navicular, nutmeg-shaped, oven-shaped, paddle-shaped, perfected, phylliform, pitcher-shaped, pliable, pliant, precast, ribbon-shaped, rod-shaped, rudder-like, saddle-shaped, scaphoid, shaped, slipper-shaped, spade-like, spade-shaped, spider-shaped, spoon-shaped, s-shaped, stirrup-shaped, tadpole-shaped, tassel-shaped, tensile, thimble-shaped, tractile, trumpet-shaped, T-shaped, turnip-shaped, umbrella-shaped, U-shaped, vase-shaped, vermiform, v-shaped, worm-shaped, wrought, W-shaped, Y-shaped
Type of: act upon, alter, be, become, change, comprise, constitute, create, influence, make, make from scratch, make up, modify, represent, work
Antonym: unformed
Encyclopedia: Form, fit and function