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

See Examples For:

figure of eight

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

It provided for the conveyance of periodical magazines between Canada and Great Britain, charging for its services the unusually low figure of eight cents a magazine.

From The History of the Post Office in British North America by Smith, William, Sir

Very soon we had both mastered the reef-knot, and had tried our hand at others—the bowline, the figure of eight, the Carrick-bend, and the old swab-hitch.

From Jim Davis by Masefield, John

She had been at work some time and had got so far with her figure of eight that it was already distinctly marked, when there was a crash and a shrill cry from Wiggins.

From The Terrible Twins by Jepson, Edgar