figurine
Americannoun
-
figurines
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing figurine
Purple Hibiscus
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The Stone Age - Middle School and High School
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The Stone Age - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Instead of DFA-ing the figurine or placing it on the injured list, Neto accepted the Pikachu for all its flaws.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
Four days later, Carney addressed the nation displaying a figurine of Gen. Isaac Brock, who repelled U.S. forces invading what is today Canada in the War of 1812.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
The miniature versions have fewer than 1,000 pieces, including a purple lightning bolt for the extreme ultraviolet light—and a Lego figurine dressed in a bunny suit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
In Vogelherd Cave in Lone Valley, for example, archaeologists uncovered a small mammoth figurine carved from mammoth ivory.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 25, 2026
I didn't want a little brown aragonite figurine of T. rex, with its mouth open and its teeth bared, nor did I want the Dinosaurs of the Cretaceous Period poster.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
The Venus figurines crafted in Stone Age Europe depict women with enormous bellies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
You can see if you know more about the ’90s than our resident Gen Xer, play a crossword that includes references to Beanie Babies and Hummel figurines, and more.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
She packed up her two worn decks of tarot cards, some small carved stone figurines and headed for home before the darkness swallowed Old Havana again.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
The nine-time Grammy winner is surrounded by a collection of lion figurines, guitars, traditional hand drums and a piano.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Aunt Melissa’s bedroom is super cluttered but also kind of cute, with ceramic figurines and knit tapestries covering every inch of the sun-soaked room.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
