The word figure has several common meanings:

1. A number or amount. When your teacher asks you to calculate the figure for a math problem, she wants the numerical answer. Scientists work with figures when measuring experiments. A company's sales figures show how much money they made. When someone is “good with figures,” they're skilled at working with numbers and math.
2. A person, especially someone notable or seen from a distance. You might spot a figure walking through the fog, or read about an important historical figure like Benjamin Franklin. A public figure is someone many people recognize, like an athlete or politician. The word captures both the physical presence and the importance of a person.
3. The shape of a human body. An action figure is a small toy shaped like a person. Ice skaters trace figures on the ice with their blades. When someone has “kept their figure,” it means they've maintained their physical fitness over time.
4. To understand or solve something. When you figure out a tricky riddle, you've worked through it until it makes sense. “I can't figure why the experiment failed” means you're puzzling over the reason. Figuring something out requires thinking, testing ideas, and sometimes asking questions until the answer becomes clear.