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:
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
In Vogelherd Cave in Lone Valley, for example, archaeologists uncovered a small mammoth figurine carved from mammoth ivory.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 25, 2026
Customers get small prizes such as a badge or figurine after selecting a certain number of dishes, 15 plates for the first reward and 25 for the second.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
This complete figurine of a seated pug dog in plain white-glazed porcelain with black details was found in the grave of an unnamed female at St James' Gardens in Euston.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
I brought out the little god figurine Bianca had found in the junkyard.
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
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
In the 1950s, Miller began making figurines — often of dinosaurs and space aliens — using plastic injection molding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
During my own marriage’s breakdown, a counselor put out wooden animal figurines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
A black Santa oil painting hung above the mantel, which was itself lined with black Santa figurines.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
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.
