an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each; "he made a bargain with the devil"; "he rose to prominence through a series of shady deals"
an advantageous purchase; "she got a bargain at the auction"; "the stock was a real buy at that price"
a mold for setting concrete; "they built elaborate forms for pouring the foundation"
the visual appearance of something or someone; "the delicate cast of his features"
a particular mode in which something is manifested; "his resentment took the form of extreme hostility"
an ability to perform well; "he was at the top of his form"; "the team was off form last night"
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"
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"
a printed document with spaces in which to write; "he filled out his tax form"
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"
(biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups; "a new strain of microorganisms"
assume a form or shape; "the water formed little beads"
create (as an entity); "social groups form everywhere"; "They formed a company"
to compose or represent:"This wall forms the background of the stage setting"; "The branches made a roof"; "This makes a fine introduction"
develop into a distinctive entity; "our plans began to take shape"
implying justice dictated by reason, conscience, and a natural sense of what is fair to all; "equitable treatment of all citizens"; "an equitable distribution of gifts among the children"
the prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies
of or relating to or employed in social rites or rituals; "a ritual dance of Haiti"; "sedate little colonial tribe with its ritual tea parties"- Nadine Gordimer
of or relating to or characteristic of religious rituals; "ritual killing"
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"; "the ambit of municipal legislation"; "within the compass of this article"; "within the scope of an investigation"; "outside the reach of the law"; "in the political orbit of a world power"
an establishment consisting of a building or complex of buildings where an organization for the promotion of some cause is situated
a custom that for a long time has been an important feature of some group or society; "the institution of marriage"; "the institution of slavery"; "he had become an institution in the theater"
an organization founded and united for a specific purpose
a legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge); "a friend in New Mexico said that the order caused no trouble out there"