structure
noun
- arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in an object or system, or the object or system so organized
verb
- combine pieces together
- arrange in a particular fashion
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈstɹʌk(t)ʃə/ / /ˈstɹʌkt͡ʃɚ/ / [ˈstʃɹɐktʃə]
noun
Etymology: From Middle French structure, from Latin structūra (“a fitting together, adjustment, building, erection, a building, edifice, structure”), from struere, past participle structus (“pile up, arrange, assemble, build”). Compare construct, instruct, destroy, etc.
- A cohesive whole built up of distinct parts.
“The birds had built an amazing structure out of sticks and various discarded items.”
“The original family who had begun to build a palace to rival Nonesuch had died out before they had put up little more than the gateway, so that the actual structure which had come down to posterity retained the secret magic of a promise rather than the overpowering splendour of a great architectural achievement.”
- The underlying shape of a solid.
“He studied the structure of her face.”
- The overall form or organization of something.
“The structure of a sentence.”
“The structure of the society was still a mystery.”
- A set of rules defining behaviour.
“For some, the structure of school life was oppressive.”
- Several pieces of data treated as a unit.
“This structure contains both date and timezone information.”
- Underwater terrain or objects (such as a dead tree or a submerged car) that tend to attract fish
“There's lots of structure to be fished along the west shore of the lake; the impoundment submerged a town there when it was built.”
- A body, such as a political party, with a cohesive purpose or outlook.
“The South African leader went off to consult with the structures.”
- A set along with a collection of finitary functions and relations.
verb
Etymology: From Middle French structure, from Latin structūra (“a fitting together, adjustment, building, erection, a building, edifice, structure”), from struere, past participle structus (“pile up, arrange, assemble, build”). Compare construct, instruct, destroy, etc.
- To give structure to; to arrange.
“I'm trying to structure my time better so I'm not always late.”
“I've structured the deal to limit the amount of money we can lose.”