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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A side view of an object or structure, especially of the human head.
  2. n. A representation of an object or structure seen from the side. See Synonyms at form.
  3. n. An outline of an object. See Synonyms at outline.
  4. n. Degree of exposure to public notice; visibility: preferred to keep a low profile.
  5. n. A biographical essay presenting the subject's most noteworthy characteristics and achievements.
  6. n. A formal summary or analysis of data, often in the form of graph or table, representing distinctive features or characteristics: a psychological profile of a job applicant; a biochemical profile of blood.
  7. n. Geology A vertical section of soil or rock showing the sequence of the various layers.
  8. v. To draw or shape a profile of.
  9. v. To produce a profile of.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. An outline or contour; specifically, the largest contour or outline of anything, usually seen in or represented by a vertical longitudinal section or side view. For example, nearly all the fishes, butterflies, etc., figured in this dictionary are drawn in profile.
  2. n. Hence The outline of the human face in a section through the median line: a side view; the side-face or half-face: as, a Greek profile.
  3. n. A representation of the face in side view: as, profiles cut in black paper are called silhouettes.
  4. n. In architecture, the outline or contour of anything, such as a building, a figure, a molding, as shown by a section through it.
  5. n. In engineering and surveying, a vertical section through a work or a section of country, to show the elevations and depressions.
  6. n. In fortification, a light wooden frame set up to guide workmen in throwing up a parapet.
  7. n. The outline of a vertical section made through any part of a fortification in a direction perpendicular to its principal bounding lines.
  8. n. In ceramics, a thin plate, as of zinc, in which is cut the outline of half of an object. The mass of clay being revolved on the potters' wheel and the profile applied to it, the exterior form is given. Synonyms Contour, etc. See outline.
  9. To draw with a side view; outline (any object or objects) so as to show a section as if cut perpendicularly from top to bottom.
  10. In mech., to impart by means of a tool or tools a definite prescribed form to (pieces of wood or metal) by chiseling, milling, tiling, or like operations.
  11. Theat., to cut (the edge of wings or set pieces) into irregular shapes to represent trees, rocks, etc.
  12. n. In theatrical, a wing having the outline of a tree. See profile, v. t., 3.

Wiktionary

  1. n. countable the outermost shape, view, or edge of an object
  2. n. countable The shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side; a side view.
  3. n. countable A summary or collection of information, especially about a person
  4. n. countable a specific space or field in which users can provide various types of personal information in software or Internet systems
  5. n. uncountable reputation
  6. n. uncountable the amount by which something protrudes
  7. n. uncountable prominence; noticeability
  8. n. archaeology A smoothed (e.g., troweled or brushed) vertical surface of an excavation showing evidence of at least one feature or diagnostic specimen; the graphic recording of such as by sketching, photographing, etc.
  9. n. character; totality of related characteristics; signature; status (especially in scientific, technical, or military uses)
  10. v. to create a summary or collection of information, especially about a person
  11. v. to act based on such a summary; especially, to act on a stereotype. See profiling.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. An outline, or contour.
  2. n. (Paint & Sculp.) A human head represented sidewise, or in a side view; the side face or half face.
  3. n. (Arch.) A section of any member, made at right angles with its main lines, showing the exact shape of moldings and the like.
  4. n. (Civil Engin.) A drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground along a surveyed line, or graded work, as of a railway, showing elevations, depressions, grades, etc.
  5. v. to draw the outline of; to draw in profile, as an architectural member.
  6. v. (Mech.) To shape the outline of an object by passing a cutter around it.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. an outline of something (especially a human face as seen from one side)
  2. n. degree of exposure to public notice
  3. n. a vertical section of the Earth's crust showing the different horizons or layers
  4. n. biographical sketch
  5. n. an analysis (often in graphical form) representing the extent to which something exhibits various characteristics
  6. v. represent in profile, by drawing or painting
  7. v. write about

Etymologies

  1. From French profil ("a profile"), from Italian profilo ("a border"), later also proffilo ("a side-face, profile"), from pro-, from Latin pro ("before") + filo ("a line, stroke, thread"), from Latin filum ("a thread"); see file. (Wiktionary)
  2. Italian profilo, from profilare, to draw in outline : pro-, forward (from Latin prō-; see pro-) + filare, to draw a line (from Medieval Latin fīlāre, to spin, from Latin fīlum, thread). (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “Anyone today who fits a certain profile is a target for suspicion and even hatred.”

    An Interview with Karen Wunderman, author of Winterkill

  • “PS that pic on my profile is a 512 lb black bear that I had to get within 12 feet (not yards) to see him on the ground with the hounds.”

    Can you kill a bear with a 12 gauge shotgun(I am just wondering).

  • “Thanks to this blog and many other activities, my profile is a rising in the world.”

    Archive 2009-09-01

  • “Here's the first of some important Analytics definitions: a profile is a set of rules that determines what data shows up in your Analytics reports.”

    Google Analytics 101 (Part 2)

  • “Doing a profile is a logical and fair way for people who want to do standards work based on RSS to proceed.”

    Scripting News for 5/24/2007 « Scripting News Annex

  • “I'll address other matters in private email, assuming your profile is accurate.”

    Balkinization

  • “Note: Since this label profile was written, Progressive Form has released Form 2.03, whose ten tracks include work by Katsutoshi Yoshihara, Serguei Iwanikov and others.”

    Disquiet » Silicom Chips

  • “However, I couldn't help but to notice that after I initiated my "brand" on allvoices, that is what they call a profile who signs up for their "incentives" and "syndication" programs, and whatever new programs they come up with to make up for the absence of the other two's integrity, I focused mostly on the health care debate.”

    Colorado Indymedia

  • “(not sure about the term profile, i use french version of inventor)”

    All Discussion Groups: Message List - root

  • “I also found a profile from a lady that wrote she is "just trying to figure out why my husband got an email update from this site.”

    Where Fishing and Romance Meet

Show 10 more examples...

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘profile’.

Comments

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  • reesetee I had mine set to private until recently because it showed every page I viewed and that gave me a bit of the willies. Looks as though that no longer shows, though. That right, John? Nov 23, 2009

  • vanishedone As it turns out, even private profiles' lists of lists aren't secret:
    here's chained_bear's, and here's lasciviousturtle's. So the only real use of setting one's profile to private is to stop people talking to one. Nov 19, 2009

  • uselessness It's not like there's any info kept in a user's profile that is required. If you don't want to share it, don't type it. Problem solved. Nov 18, 2009

  • vanishedone I'm not sure I like these private profiles that even logged-in people can't see, largely because the standard Wordie method of talking directly to someone (to say things like 'this might interest you' or 'stop the spam or suffer the Wordie Treatment') is to leave a profile comment. An elective class of members who can't be greeted like that feels rather un-Wordie.

    If people don't want their profiles to be scrutinised, couldn't they just not fill them in? Or are people's lists of lists, tags and favourites now considered sensitive information? In which case maybe finer-grained privacy options would do the trick, for when someone feels like making a 'Gay BDSM slang unique to Leeds, U.K.' list. Nov 18, 2009

  • reesetee Uselessness, what do you mean? We thrive on entropy. Nov 17, 2009

  • Prolagus Oh, you're right! I forgot I reported that. They could only be read on the main page but not on the "last 100 comment". Nov 17, 2009

  • uselessness Wow, this is what happens when I disappear: Things fall apart. I am apparently the last line of defense between you guys and the forces of entropy. ;-) Nov 17, 2009

  • vanishedone List comments had stopped appearing there even back on Wordie Classic; that was mentioned on bugs about three months ago. Nov 17, 2009

  • Prolagus It's a bug. And the notifications stopped working when we were moved to Wordnik. (I'd like on-site notifications too!) Nov 17, 2009

  • uselessness Obviously, I haven't used Wordie in a while. But I seem to remember comments on user profiles showing up on the home page with all the other comments. Here on Wordnik, they don't appear where I'd expect, in the Zeitgeist stream. Is this a bug or a feature? Profile comments to tend to be of a more personal nature, but it'd still be nice to be notified when I have new ones without manually checking for them. Maybe a little alert in the bar across the top of the page? Nov 17, 2009

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‘profile’ has been looked up 2645 times, added to 27 lists, commented on 10 times, and has a Scrabble score of 12.