figure of eight

American  

noun

1. figure eight.

2. a knot resembling the figure 8.

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figure of eight British  

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

3. 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

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Etymology

Origin of figure of eight

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

The TLI placed Apollo on a "free-return trajectory" - often illustrated as a figure of eight shape.

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2019

A pattern for the three women, hopping around one another in a figure of eight, already shows Mr. Taylor’s felicity of design.

From New York Times • Dec. 18, 2016

When in high spirits they run round in circles or in a figure of eight, with their tails between their legs.

From Dogs and All about Them by Leighton, Robert

The little hand-carriage had made another great loop on the damp sand, and was coming back again, gradually spinning out a slim figure of eight, half a mile long.

From Hunted Down: the detective stories of Charles Dickens by Dickens, Charles

Now, this sum with annual compound interest for ten years, amounts to the enormous figure of eight billions nine hundred and forty-four millions one hundred and forty-one thousands of dollars—almost nine thousand millions of dollars!

From Grappling with the Monster The Curse and the Cure of Strong Drink by Arthur, T. S. (Timothy Shay)