Dictionary.com
definitions

figure eight

noun
  1. a figure or form composed of two loops formed by a continuous line crossing itself, as in the figure 8, especially as traced on ice in figure skating.

Origin of figure eight

First recorded in 1595–1605
Also called figure of eight.

figure of eight

noun
  1. figure eight.
  2. a knot resembling the figure 8.

Origin of figure of eight

First recorded in 1595–1605
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for figure eight

Contemporary Examples of figure eight

Historical Examples of figure eight

  • "Here's what's left of the hobbles the buckskin wore," he said, holding up the cut loops of a figure-eight rope hobble.

  • In 1903 the Gordon-Bennett cup race was held in Ireland, over a course of 368 miles, twice around a figure-eight track.

    The Automobilist Abroad

    M. F. (Milburg Francisco) Mansfield

  • Sides, a double selvage of two or three cords, often attached to the sides in figure-eight fashion.

    Oriental Rugs

    Walter A. Hawley

  • Sides, a double overcasting attached in figure-eight fashion to the sides, or a double selvage having from three to five cords.

    Oriental Rugs

    Walter A. Hawley

  • Only a step beyond the figure-eight and the overhand knots are the "Square" and "Reefing" knots (Figs. 11 and 12).

British Dictionary definitions for figure eight

figure of eight

figure eight

noun
  1. an outline of the number 8 traced on ice by a skater
  2. a flight manoeuvre by an aircraft outlining a figure 8
    1. a knot in the shape of a figure 8 made to prevent the unreeving of a rope
    2. a climber's knot in the shape of a figure 8 made with a doubled rope to provide a secure loop
    3. an angler's knot sometimes used to attach a fly to a leader or dropper
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012