fig
Preserved but no longer current.
"in full FIG," i.e., full-dress costume, "extensively got up." Possibly an allusion to the dress assumed by our first parents after they were naked and not ashamed, or else an abbreviation of figure, in the references to plates in books of fashions.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “fig” mean?
"in full FIG," i.e., full-dress costume, "extensively got up." Possibly an allusion to the dress assumed by our first parents after they were naked and not ashamed, or else an abbreviation of figure, in the references to plates in books of fashions.
Is “fig” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.