abgeformt

Abgeformt is a German adjective and past participle derived from abformen, meaning to form something by taking a mold or casting it away from a mold. The term denotes that an object has been produced by a molding process and has been removed from a mold or impression, rather than being shaped by carving or natural formation. As an attributive and predicate adjective, abgeformt can describe both the process and the result: for example, "eine abgeformte Figur" or "das Objekt ist abgeformt".

In practice, abgeformte items are common in manufacturing, sculpture, dentistry, and ceramics. They are created by filling a mold with material such as plaster, ceramic slip, resin, or metal, allowing it to set, and then carefully removing the hardened piece. The resulting form reflects the mold’s details, including undercuts and fine textures, though finishing operations may alter surface details. The term thus contrasts with selbstgeformt (shaped by oneself) or freiform (free-form) shapes that are produced without a mold.

Etymology and related terms: abgeformt comes from abformen (to take a form off, to cast from a mold) with the participle ending -t. Related German terms include Abformung (the process of taking an impression), Abdruck (impression), Guss (casting), Form (mold), and ausformen.