describe

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English

Etymology

From Middle English descriven, from Old French descrivre, from Latin dēscrībō (“I copy off, transcribe, sketch off, describe in painting or writing”), from dē (“off”) + scrībō (“write”); see scribe and shrive.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dəˈskɹaɪb/, /dɪsˈkɹaɪb/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪb
  • Hyphenation: de‧scribe

Verb

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  1. (transitive) To represent in words.
    The feeling is difficult to describe, but not unpleasant.
    The geographer describes countries and cities.
    • 2014, Daniel Taylor, "Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk, November 2, 2014
      Yet the truth is that City would probably have been coasting by that point if the referee, Michael Oliver, had not turned down three separate penalties, at least two of which could be accurately described as certainties.
    • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:
      […] his lordship was out of humour. That was the way Chollacombe described as knaggy an old gager as ever Charles had had the ill-fortune to serve. Stiff-rumped, that's what he was, always rubbing the rust, or riding grub, like he had been for months past.
  2. (transitive) To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out.
    to describe a circle by the compasses;   a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle
    • 1826, James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans
      Uncas described an arc in the water with his own blade, and as the canoe passed swiftly on, Chingachgook recovered his paddle, and flourishing it on high, he gave the war-whoop of the Mohicans.
  3. (transitive, mathematics) To give rise to a geometrical structure.
    The function describes a very complex surface.
  4. (transitive, taxonomy) To introduce a new taxon to science by explaining its characteristics and particularly how it differs from other taxa.
    The fungus was first described by a botanist.
  5. (obsolete) To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class.
    • Bible, Joshua xviii. 9
      Passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Further reading

Anagrams

Latin

Verb

(deprecated template usage) dēscrībe

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of dēscrībō

Scots

Etymology

From English describe.

Verb

describe (third-person singular simple present describes, present participle describin, simple past describit, past participle describit)

  1. to describe

Spanish

Verb

describe

  1. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present indicative form of describir.
  2. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of describir.
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