From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
formation
n 1: an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit; "a
defensive formation"; "a formation of planes"
2: a particular spatial arrangement
3: the fabrication of something in a particular shape [syn:
shaping]
4: the act of forming something; "the constitution of a PTA
group last year"; "it was the establishment of his
reputation"; "he still remembers the organization of the
club" [syn: constitution, establishment,
organization, organisation]
5: (geology) the geological features of the earth [syn:
geological formation]
6: natural process that causes something to form; "the
formation of gas in the intestine"; "the formation of
crystals"; "the formation of pseudopods"
7: creation by mental activity; "the formation of sentences";
"the formation of memories"
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Formation \For*ma"tion\ (f[o^]r*m[=a]"sh[u^]n), n. [L. formatio:
cf. F. formation.]
1. The act of giving form or shape to anything; a forming; a
shaping. --Beattie.
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2. The manner in which a thing is formed; structure;
construction; conformation; form; as, the peculiar
formation of the heart.
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3. A substance formed or deposited.
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4. (Geol.)
(a) Mineral deposits and rock masses designated with
reference to their origin; as, the siliceous formation
about geysers; alluvial formations; marine formations.
(b) A group of beds of the same age or period; as, the
Eocene formation.
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5. (Mil.) The arrangement of a body of troops, as in a
square, column, etc. --Farrow.
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