figurine

American  

[fig-yuh-reen] / ˌfɪg yəˈrin /

noun

1. a small ornamental figure of pottery, metal, plastic, etc.; statuette.

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figurine British  

/ ˌfɪɡəˈriːn /

noun

1. a small carved or moulded figure; statuette

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Etymology

Origin of figurine

1850–55; < French < Italian figurina, equivalent to figur ( a ) figure + -ina -ine ¹ (here diminutive)

Explanation

A figurine is a small carved or molded statue, especially one in the shape of a person. If you have an extensive collection of figurines, you need to keep them high up and safe so your kids don't break them. The word figurine is from the Italian word figurina, which itself is based on the Latin word figura, which means shape, body, or figure. You can buy all sorts of figurines. If you like movies, you can collect figurines that depict famous movie characters. You can also get figurines of comic book heroes. It's even common to have the figurine of a saint.

Related Words

• copy
• figure
• image
• painting
• photograph
• picture
• portrait