form

Word family  noun form formation transformation reformer reform reformation reformist transformer formlessness adjective reformed reformist formless verb form reform transform adverb formlessly

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Sport, School, Grammar

form1 /fɔːm $ fɔːrm/ ●●● S1 W1 noun  1  type 种类 [countable]TYPE a particular type of something that exists in many different varieties 类型，种类form of a severe form of cancer 一种严重的癌症 The bicycle is an environment-friendly form of transport. 自行车是一种环保的交通方式。 the art forms of the twentieth century 20世纪的各种艺术形式2  way STH is/appears 形式/外形 [countable]TYPE the way something is or appears to be 形式，方式 We oppose racism in all its forms. 我们反对各种形式的种族主义。in the form of something People are bombarded with information in the form of TV advertising. 人们受到大量电视广告信息的狂轰滥炸。 Vitamin C can be taken in capsule or tablet form. 补充维生素C可以服用胶囊，也可以服用片剂。 A typical training programme takes the form of a series of workshops. 一般的培训计划都采用一系列研习班的形式。3  shape 形状 [countable]SHAPE a shape 形状，外形form of the shadowy forms of the divers swimming below the boat 潜水员在船下游动的模糊身影in the form of something The main staircase was in the form of a big ‘S’. 主楼梯呈一个大大的S形。 The female form is a thing of beauty. 女性形体是一种美。4  document 文件 [countable]INFORMATION an official document with spaces where you write information, especially about yourself 表格 Application forms are available from the college. 可向学院索取申请表。 Just complete the entry form (=write the answers to the questions on a form) and return it. 填好参赛表格后交回即可。fill in/out a form (=write the answers to the questions on a form) 填表 Fill in the form and send it back with your cheque. 填好表格后连同支票一起寄回。5  art/literature 艺术/文学 [uncountable]A the structure of a work of art or piece of writing, rather than the ideas it expresses, events it describes etc 〔文艺作品的〕（表现）形式 the distinction between form and content 形式与内容的区别6  performance 表现 [uncountable]DS how well a sports person, team, musician etc is performing, or has performed recently 〔运动员、运动队、乐手等的〕表现，状态 I have been greatly encouraged by the team’s recent form. 该队近来的表现极大地鼓舞了我。on present/current/past etc form On current form he’s one of the top three players in the country. 就目前的情况看，他是全国选手的前三强。in good/fine/great form He’s been in good form all this season. 这整个赛季他一直表现良好。 He had no qualms about dropping players he thought were off form (=not performing well). 不选他认为状态不好的队员，他觉得这没什么不对。7  school 学校 [countable] British EnglishSES a class in a school 年级first/second/sixth etc form examinations taken in the fourth form 四年级的考试 → form teacher8. grammar 语法 [countable]SLG a way of writing or saying a word that shows its number, tense etc. For example, ‘was’ is a past form of the verb ‘to be’. 〔表示单词数、时态等的〕形式9. criminal record 犯罪记录 [uncountable] British English informal if someone has form, they are known to the police because they have committed crimes in the past 犯罪记录，案底10  bad form old-fashionedBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS behaviour that is considered to be socially unacceptable 不合礼节要求的行为，不礼貌的行为 SYN bad manners It used to be considered bad form to talk about money. 过去，谈论金钱被认为是不礼貌的。11  form of words a way of expressing something official 措辞，用词 SYN wording The precise form of words has been agreed by the 12 heads of government. 准确的措辞已经由12名政府首脑商定。12  be in good/fine/great etc form  (also be on good/fine/great etc form British English)GOOD AT to be full of confidence and energy, so that you do something well or talk in an interesting or amusing way 情绪良好，兴高采烈 Michelle was in great form at last week’s conference. 米歇尔在上星期的会议上状态很好。13  take form a) to begin to exist or develop 开始形成[发展] The womb represents the very first place in which life takes form. 子宫就是生命开始形成的地方。 b) to start to become a particular shape 逐渐成形 As the men worked, I watched the ship’s hull take form. 工人在工作，我看着船体逐渐成形。 → true to form at true1(7)

Examples from the Corpus

form• Some of the fifth- formers have started a rock band.• Melanoma is a form of skin cancer.• The visa requires an application form and two photos.• a college application form• But like all Balkan political survivors, Milosevic has made an art form of knowing when to switch sides.• Animation is one of the most labor-intensive art forms.• The nurse asked her to sign the consent form.• Britain has a constitutional form of government.• Dark forms seemed to hide behind the trees.• How, then, do we account for these very different responses to the different forms of cheating?• The book discusses what the ideal female form has been for different centuries and cultures.• Mrs Davies took the fifth form to the science museum.• The painting consists of a series of interlocking forms.• As early as 1844, Alfred Donne published a compendium of drawings made from daguerreotypes of microscopic forms.• Sugar in chocolate and other forms of confectionery is one of the major causes of tooth decay.• Johnson is far from his past form and may not make the Olympic team.• Sleeping forms lay in groups and rows on the earth floor.• Make sure you sign and date the form before you return it.• Just fill in the form and take it along to your local bank.• She's by far the brightest pupil in the form.• Antibacterial treatments can take the form of baths, external application to affected areas, injection and oral administration via the food.• I'm in the third form.• However, most of the research has relied upon a narrow and traditional form of grammar teaching.• The bodies which are most obviously subject to various forms of public accountability are central government departments and local authorities.• Writers such as Henry James are concerned with form as well as content.• Pour the cement into the wooden form.form of• I think she died of some form of cancer.• Please bring two forms of identification, such as a passport or driver's license.takes the form of• This account of that age takes the form of an experiment-a contrast between two days.• In some cases it is also hard to measure scheme cost, eg where aid takes the form of tax concessions.• Egocentrism takes the form of an inability to differentiate between perceptual events and mental constructions.• The plant takes the form of any of three varieties known.• In the modern Arab states it sometimes takes the form of intolerant outbursts and rejections of the present and our leaders.• Each unit takes the form of an issue of Streetwise magazine.• This usually takes the form of obsessively pursuing the minutiae of experimental phenomena and theories that leave a subsequent generation cold.• The vibration takes the form of an acoustic wave travelling down the rod.female form• The further from the natural a female form, the more feminine it is.• A much more acceptable female form.• In 1877 he observed the adult male and female forms.• It is not known for certain if the male and female form a pair bond.• Here, too, we find subtle combinations of male imagery with essentially female forms.• Pech-Merle also contains some of the relatively rare engravings of human female forms.• But the family fortune rested on the female form.• The female form is more beautiful.fill in/out a form• She sat in the Ministry of Education and filled out forms.• Creating a trip is as easy as filling in a form.• They even filled in forms for her.• They may see that it does not have to be time consuming and it doesn't always involve filling in forms.• Nobody likes filling in a form.• Once on the system, it saves time and allows me to concentrate on walking the crops, not filling in forms.• Jobseekers are asked to fill out forms or present resumes that detail their education, experience, and other qualifications.in good/fine/great form• Health Management Associates Inc., known as the Wal-Mart of hospital operators, appears to be in fine form.• And it was not all deep depression yesterday, with the likes of Boots and Morgan Grenfell in fine form.• Davies, now in his 80s, is in fine form.• At least he is in good form again.• I rode Granville Again this morning and he seems in great form.• Opener Ramiz Raja started the tour in fine form, with an innings of 172 against Worcestershire.• I was in good form that night.first/second/sixth etc form• The information will be gathered in 4 city centre retail and catering firms and 3 sixth form colleges in Swansea.• A second form of personal thought is intuition.• Augustine in the Confessions 12: 19 between the first form and unformed or prime matter.• But most teachers with amorous intent are wise enough to wait until the girls are in the sixth form.• Most of the detailed factual material learned in the sixth form is forgotten or superseded within a few years.• Remember that big sloppy jumper you knitted me when I was in the sixth form - that maroon one?• Mitosis lasted two years during the period between the pair leaving the sixth form and attending university.form2 ●●● S2 W1 verb  1  establish 建立START something/MAKE something START [transitive] to establish an organization, committee, government etc 建立，组成〔组织、委员会、政府等〕 → formation The winning party will form the government. 获胜的党派将组建政府。 CARE was formed in 1946 and helps the poor in 38 countries. 美国援外合作署成立于1946年，为38个国家的穷人提供援助。2  be part of STH 成为某事物的一部分 [linking verb]PART to be the thing, or one of the things, that is part of something else, often having a particular use 成为…的一部分 Love and trust should form the basis of a marriage. 爱和信任应当成为婚姻的基础。 The project forms part of a larger project investigating the history of the cinema. 该项目是电影史研究这个大项目的一部分。 The river formed a natural boundary between the two countries. 这条河成了两国的自然边界。n GRAMMAR: Linking verbsForm is a linking verb that links the subject of the sentence with a noun: The changes form part of a new curriculum.3  start to exist 开始存在 [intransitive, transitive]START something/MAKE something START to start to exist, or make something start to exist, especially as the result of a natural process 〔尤指经过自然过程而〕形成，产生 → formation The rocks were formed more than 4,000 million years ago. 这些岩石是40多亿年前形成的。 By midnight ice was already forming on the roads. 到了午夜，路面已开始结冰。 Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide combine to form acid rain. 二氧化硫和氮氧化物结合形成酸雨。► see thesaurus at make4  make/produce 制作/生产 [transitive] to make something by combining two or more parts 构成 In English the past tense of a verb is usually formed by adding ‘ed’. 在英语中，动词的过去式通常是加ed构成。5  shape/line 形状/队列 [intransitive, transitive]ARRANGE A GROUP OF THINGS OR PEOPLE to come together in a particular shape or line, or to make something have a particular shape （把…）编[排]成 SYN make Film-goers began to form a line outside the cinema. 来看电影的人在电影院外面排起了长队。 Cut off the corners of the square to form a diamond. 切下正方形的四个角形成一个菱形。6  relationship 关系 [transitive] to establish and develop a relationship with someone 〔与某人〕建立〔关系〕 She seemed incapable of forming any relationships. 她似乎难以与人建立起任何关系。 On returning to Boston, she formed a close friendship with her aunt. 回到波士顿，她就与婶婶建立起了非常亲密的关系。7  form an opinion/impression/idea MAKEto use available information to develop or reach an opinion or idea 形成看法/印象/概念 She formed the opinion that one of the pupils was bullying the other. 她觉得其中一个学生在欺侮另一个学生。8  influence 影响 [transitive]MAKE to have a strong influence on how someone’s character develops and the type of person they become 形成，塑造〔性格〕 SYN mould, → formative Events in early childhood often help to form our personalities in later life. 幼年时期的经历往往影响到我们后来个性的形成。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

form• Aspirin stops heart attacks by preventing blood clots from forming.• Out of one of my women's courses I attended, a consciousness-raising group was formed.• Our house and the barn form a big "L."• And, of course, mania usually alternates with depression, to form a bipolar disorder.• She cut away the corners to form a circle.• Oils produced by the skin form a protective barrier against infection and disease.• The ions combine with proteins to form a reddish-colored complex.• The exchange is owned by its shareholders, who form a separate membership.• IBM formed an alliance with Lotus, a software maker.• Acquisitions have formed an important part of the strategy and will continue to do so.• Imagine how, when and where this formed, and its temporal and spatial journey.• A crowd was beginning to form at the scene of the accident.• In English the past tense is usually formed by adding "ed."• The United Nations was formed in 1945.• The rocks were formed more than 4 billion years ago.• Coal is formed naturally from decomposed organic matter.• Events in early childhood help to form our personalities in later life.• Long lines formed outside the ticket offices.• Governors must decide whether this subject is to form part of the curriculum for their school.• With a few clever twists, he had formed the balloon into the shape of a dog.• Newton's theories form the basis of modern mathematics.• These foods should only be eaten occasionally; they should not form the basis of your diet. 11.• The Rio Grande forms the boundary between Texas and Mexico.• Rice forms the most important part of their diet.• Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water.forms part of• Its Rocko Vario interchangeable-blade system forms part of a comprehensive range.• The Chirac-Kohl coolness forms part of a growing pattern of strained personal relations among world leaders.• The stone-built mill now forms part of a house.• This book forms part of a Thames & Hudson series, Masters of Art.• The cut to seven percent forms part of John Major's growth package designed to propel Britain out of recession.• This forms part of the company's long standing commitment to reducing atmospheric emissions from its Teesside operations.• The motivation was there and forms part of the picture, but it is not dominant.• The adjective that forms part of the syllogism is one that has come to form a sort of collocation with the noun.From Longman Business Dictionaryformform1 /fɔːmfɔːrm/ noun [countable] an official document with spaces to answer questions and add informationa Medicare Benefits formWe need to receive your application form by July 31.There was no delivery address on the order form.If you would just like to fill in a form we will process your request as quickly as possible.You must complete the entry form and return it to us. → tax formformform2 verb1[transitive] to establish a company, an organization, or a committeeCoca-Cola Amatil formed a joint venture with Tirtalina Group of Indonesia.A committee was formed to look at the whole issue of bonuses for staff.North American Vehicle Imports is a newly formed company with two principal partners.2[intransitive] when a company, organization, or committee forms, it is establishedThis was something that was not considered when the United Nations first formed.3form an alliance/partnership/coalition to establish a relationship of working togetherElectronic Data Systems Corp. and Australian-based Mincom formed an alliance to jointly market computer services and software to the mining industry. —forming noun [uncountable]The forming of US Steel marked a turning point in his career.→ See Verb tableOrigin form1 (1200-1300) Old French forme, from Latin forma, perhaps from Greek morphe “form, shape”

form1 nounform2 verb →n GRAMMAR1LDOCE OnlineChinese  

of exists a many Business in that type something Corpus particular

form

I

form¹ S1 W1 /fɔːm $ fɔːrm/ noun1.  TYPE  [countable] a particular type of something that exists in many different varieties
    form of
    a severe form of cancer
    The bicycle is an environment-friendly form of transport.
    the art forms of the twentieth century
2.  WAY SOMETHING IS/APPEARS  [countable] the way something is or appears to be:
    We oppose racism in all its forms.
    in the form of something
    People are bombarded with information in the form of TV advertising.
    Vitamin C can be taken in capsule or tablet form.
    A typical training programme takes the form of a series of workshops.
3.  SHAPE  [countable] a shape
    form of
    the shadowy forms of the divers swimming below the boat
    in the form of something
    The main staircase was in the form of a big ‘S’.
    The female form is a thing of beauty.
4.  DOCUMENT  [countable] an official document with spaces where you write information, especially about yourself:
    Application forms are available from the college.
    Just complete the entry form (=write the answers to the questions on a form) and return it.
    fill in/out a form (=write the answers to the questions on a form)
    Fill in the form and send it back with your cheque.
5.  ART/LITERATURE  [uncountable] the structure of a work of art or piece of writing, rather than the ideas it expresses, events it describes etc:
    the distinction between form and content
6.  PERFORMANCE  [uncountable] how well a sports person, team, musician etc is performing, or has performed recently:
    I have been greatly encouraged by the team’s recent form.
    on present/current/past etc form
    On current form he’s one of the top three players in the country.
    in good/fine/great form
    He’s been in good form all this season.
    He had no qualms about dropping players he thought were off form (=not performing well).
7.  SCHOOL  [countable] British English a class in a school
    first/second/sixth etc form
    examinations taken in the fourth form ⇨ form teacher
8.  GRAMMAR  [countable] a way of writing or saying a word that shows its number, tense etc. For example, ‘was’ is a past form of the verb ‘to be’.
9.  CRIMINAL RECORD  [uncountable] British English informal if someone has form, they are known to the police because they have committed crimes in the past
10. bad form old-fashioned behaviour that is considered to be socially unacceptable
   SYN  bad manners:
    It used to be considered bad form to talk about money.
11. form of words a way of expressing something official
   SYN  wording:
    The precise form of words has been agreed by the 12 heads of government.
12. be in good/fine/great etc form (also be on good/fine/great etc form British English) to be full of confidence and energy, so that you do something well or talk in an interesting or amusing way:
    Michelle was in great form at last week’s conference.
13. take form
  a. to begin to exist or develop:
    The womb represents the very first place in which life takes form.
  b. to start to become a particular shape:
    As the men worked, I watched the ship’s hull take form.
⇨ true to form at true¹(7)
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ type/kind/sort one member of a group of people or things that have similar features or qualities. Type is the usual word to use in scientific or technical contexts. In everyday English, people usually use kind or sort: What type of fish is this? | There are two main personality types.
   ▪ kind a type of person or thing. Kind is less formal than type, and is used especially in everyday English: What kind of food do you like? | There were all kinds of people there. | The study is the first of its kind in Ireland.
   ▪ sort especially British English a type of person or thing. Sort is less formal than type, and is used especially in everyday British English: What sort of person is she? | I like all sorts of music.
   ▪ form one type of something from all the ones that are possible – used especially when things have different physical characteristics, or in certain fixed phrases: There are many forms of heart disease. | Melanoma is a form of skin cancer. | The first primitive life forms consumed various materials, including hydrogen sulfide, and released oxygen. | In those days, horses were the commonest form of transport. | We need to use alternative forms of energy. | a popular form of entertainment
   ▪ variety a type that is slightly different from others in the same group: The French make many varieties of cheese. | This is a new variety of apple.
   ▪ species a type of plant or animal, which can breed together to produce plants or animals of the same type: These forests contain many species of trees. | The giant panda is an endangered species.
   ▪ of a ... nature formal used when talking about a particular type of thing: Many people find it embarrassing to discuss problems of a sexual nature. | Minor incidents of this nature normally occur about once a month.
   ▪ category a group of people or things that are all of the same type – used when there is a clear system for deciding which group something belongs to: The three major categories of rock are: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. | She won the best actress category at the Oscars.
   ▪ brand used when talking about the particular way that someone does something or thinks about something, when this is very different from that of other people: She has her own special brand of humour. | He has called for a more positive brand of politics.
   ▪ genre formal a type of art, music, literature etc. that has a particular style or feature: He has written novels in several genres, most notably science fiction.

II

form² S2 W1 verb1.  ESTABLISH  [transitive] to establish an organization, committee, government etc ⇨ formation:
    The winning party will form the government.
    CARE was formed in 1946 and helps the poor in 38 countries.
2.  BE PART OF SOMETHING  [linking verb] to be the thing, or one of the things, that is part of something else, often having a particular use:
    Love and trust should form the basis of a marriage.
    The project forms part of a larger project investigating the history of the cinema.
    The river formed a natural boundary between the two countries.
3.  START TO EXIST  [intransitive and transitive] to start to exist, or make something start to exist, especially as the result of a natural process ⇨ formation:
    The rocks were formed more than 4,000 million years ago.
    By midnight ice was already forming on the roads.
    Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide combine to form acid rain.
4.  MAKE/PRODUCE  [transitive] to make something by combining two or more parts:
    In English the past tense of a verb is usually formed by adding ‘ed’.
5.  SHAPE/LINE  [intransitive and transitive] to come together in a particular shape or line, or to make something have a particular shape
   SYN  make:
    Film-goers began to form a line outside the cinema.
    Cut off the corners of the square to form a diamond.
6.  RELATIONSHIP  [transitive] to establish and develop a relationship with someone:
    She seemed incapable of forming any relationships.
    On returning to Boston, she formed a close friendship with her aunt.
7. form an opinion/impression/idea to use available information to develop or reach an opinion or idea:
    She formed the opinion that one of the pupils was bullying the other.
8.  INFLUENCE  [transitive] to have a strong influence on how someone’s character develops and the type of person they become
   SYN  mould ⇨ formative:
    Events in early childhood often help to form our personalities in later life.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ make used about things you make yourself, or things that are made in a factory: Diane makes all her own clothes. | My camera was made in China.
   ▪ produce to make something in large quantities to be sold, or to make something as the result of a natural process: The factory produces high-quality steel. | Japan produces some of the most advanced mobile phones. | The pancreas is a gland in your body which produces hormones.
   ▪ create to make something new and original: Tarantino created a whole new style of films. | Many companies invest a lot of money in creating new products. | Potter was famous for creating characters such as ‘Peter Rabbit’. | This technique is used to create images of beautiful forests.
   ▪ manufacture to make machines, cars, equipment etc in factories: The company manufactures aircraft parts.
   ▪ mass-produce to make very large quantities of something in a factory: They developed a way to mass-produce the drug.
   ▪ develop to design and make something new over a period of time: In 1962, Enders developed an effective vaccine against measles. | The company is developing new anti-virus software.
   ▪ form to make something as the result of a natural process or chemical reaction: Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water. | The research will help us understand how planets are formed.
   ▪ generate to make something such as heat, electricity, or power: Wind can be used to generate electricity.