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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

format \format\ v. t.
to set into a specific format; -- of printed matter or data
recorded on a data soorage medium.

Syn: arrange.
[WordNet 1.5 PJC]


Format \For`mat"\ (f[-o]r`m[.a]" or f[-o]r`m[aum]t"), n. [F. or
G. Cf. {Formation}.]
1. (Print.) The shape and size of a book or other printed
publication; hence, its external form. [WordNet sense 2]
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]

The older manuscripts had been written in a much
larger format than that found convenient for
university work. --G. H.
Putnam.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]

One might, indeed, protest that the format is a
little too luxurious. --Nature.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]

2. (Print.) the arrangement of the parts of a printed page,
such as text and graphics; as, text flowing around an
illustration provides a more pleasing format; multiple
columns are a more common format for large pages.
[PJC]

3. (Computers) The pattern of organization of information in
an electronic storage medium, such as the number and size
of records, or the size, spacing, or separation symbols
for fields in a record. A computer file, for example, may
be in fixed-length format, in which each field or record
occupies the same number of bytes, or in variable-length
format, in which the lengths of fields or records varies.
The number of formats are unlimited, being specifiable at
will by programmers or in some cases by the users of
programs. [WordNet sense 1]

Syn: data format.
[PJC]

4. Hence, The general organization, form, or plan for
anything, such as an organized social, political, or
entertainment event.
[PJC]