What's "shape" mean here? Is this used as a verb here?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Correct, "shape" is used as a verb in this example. When you shape metal, you are manipulating it to create the desired shape. We can also use shape as a verb to describe the process of manipulating other objects, for example, clay. Ex: The ceramicist was having a tough time shaping the clay into a vase. Ex: The ceramicist couldn't manipulate the clay into the correct form. Ex: The gardener did a great job shaping our trees. Ex: The gardener cut the leaves of the trees into different shapes, and it looked really nice.