Definition of "format"

format

/ˈfɔː(ɹ).mæt/

noun
plural formats
1. The layout of a publication or document.
  Quotations
  The older manuscripts had been written in a much larger format than that found convenient for university work.
  1896, George Haven Putnam, Books and Their Makers During the Middle Ages
2. (by extension) The form of presentation of something.
3. (radio) The type of programming that a radio station broadcasts; such as a certain genre of music, news, sports, talk, etc.
4. (computing) A file type.
verb
third-person singular simple present formats, present participle formatting, simple past and past participle formatted
1. To create or edit the layout of a document.
2. Change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page.
3. (computing) To prepare a mass storage medium for initial use, erasing any existing data in the process.