figuro

Figuro is a term in Esperanto meaning figure, shape, or diagram. It is used to refer to geometric figures, diagrams, or illustrated forms in mathematics, design, and education. The word denotes a concrete form or outline rather than a broader image, and it can describe anything from a simple geometric shape to a labeled drawing within a text.

The etymology traces to Latin figura, and it was incorporated into Esperanto through the language’s standard practice of adopting roots from classical sources. In Esperanto grammar, figuro is a common noun with the typical endings of the language: the plural is figuroj, and the accusative singular is figuron. This allows phrases such as “la figuro en la diagramo” (the figure in the diagram) to be formed consistently within sentences.

In usage, figuro often appears in textbooks and instructional materials where precise reference to a particular form or shape is needed. It can be contrasted with diagramo (diagram) when emphasis lies on schematic representation, or with bildo (image) when a broader pictorial depiction is intended. While figuro is common in technical contexts, its exact nuance may vary by author or discipline, with some writers reserving figuro for formally defined shapes and others using it more loosely to denote any depicted figure.

See also: figura, diagramo, bildo, geometraĵoj.