describe
[ dih-skrahyb ]
/ dɪˈskraɪb /
verb (used with object), de·scribed, de·scrib·ing.
to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of: He described the accident very carefully.
to pronounce, as by a designating term, phrase, or the like; label: There are few people who may be described as geniuses.
to indicate; be a sign of; denote: Conceit, in many cases, describes a state of serious emotional insecurity.
to represent or delineate by a picture or figure.
Geometry.
to draw or trace the outline of: to describe an arc.
Origin of describe
1400–50; late Middle English
describen < Latin
dēscrībere, equivalent to
dē-
de- +
scrībere to write
SYNONYMS FOR describe
synonym study for describe
1.
Describe,
narrate agree in the idea of giving an account of something. To
describe is to convey in words the appearance, nature, attributes, etc., of something. The word often implies vividness of personal observation:
to describe a scene, an event. To
narrate is to recount the occurrence of something, usually by giving the details of an event or events in the order of their happening.
Narrate thus applies only to that which happens over time:
to narrate an incident.
OTHER WORDS FROM describe
Words nearby describe
Example sentences from the Web for describing
British Dictionary definitions for describing
describe
/ (dɪˈskraɪb) /
verb (tr)
to give an account or representation of in words
to pronounce or label
he has been described as a genius
to draw a line or figure, such as a circle
Derived forms of describe
describable, adjective describer, nounWord Origin for describe
C15: from Latin
dēscrībere to copy off, write out, delineate, from
de- +
scrībere to write