Dictionary

describe en · VERB

Pronunciation

[dɪˈskɹɑɪ̯b] (US)
[dɪˈskɹaɪ̯b] (US)
[dɪˈskɹaɪ̯b] (Canada)
[dɪˈskɹaɪ̯b] (Received-Pronunciation)
(US) audio
[dɪˈskɹɑɪ̯b] (Australia)
[dɪˈskɹəjb] (Canada)
/dɪˈskɹaɪb/
[dɪˈskɹɑjb] (British, Southern, Standard)
/dəˈskɹaɪb/

Etymology

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

Meanings

(transitive) To represent in words.
- […]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. 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:
- Among the documents Donald Trump’s would-be-assassin studied while formulating his plans for an attack on the former president was a public document from the Department of Homeland Security, describing different kinds of improvised explosive devices and the number of explosives needed to inflict casualties over certain distances, a senior law enforcement official told CNN. 2024 August 28, John Miller and Sabrina Shulman, “FBI discovered a DHS document describing improvised explosive devices during investigation of Trump’s would-be assassin”, in CNN:
- The geographer describes countries and cities.
- 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. 2014 November 2, Daniel Taylor, “Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United”, in The Guardian:
- Former President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance continue to falsely describe how one of their major policy proposals, across-the-board tariffs, would work. 2024 September 9, Katie Lobosco, “Fact check: Trump and Vance keep falsely describing how tariffs work”, in CNN:
- Between 8 and 9 p.m., the recorder at a meteorological station at Harrow, Middlesex, picked up 1,470 lightning flashes within a radius of 10 to 15 miles, and observers at the station described the storm as "probably one of the most spectacular of the century." 1958 November 14, “Storm Damage in the Home Counties”, in Railway Magazine, page 746:
- Several witnesses describe seeing lights in the sky that night.
- The feeling is difficult to describe, but not unpleasant.
- Mae, who describes herself on Patreon as a 20-year-old university student from Canada, holds several world records for Baldur’s Gate 3 speedruns already — including her insane 4:15 any% speedrun. 2024 January 27, Eliana Bollati, “Baldur’s Gate 3 speedrunner smashes two world records in just two days”, in Dexerto:
(transitive) To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out.
- 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. 1826, James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans:
- to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle
- His body was contracted and bent towards them, and described an undulatory movement like that of a worm writhing. 1906, James George Frazer, Adonis, Attis, Osiris, volume 2, page 146:
(transitive) To give rise to a geometrical structure.
- The function describes a very complex surface.
(transitive) 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.
(obsolete, transitive) To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class.
- Passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Joshua 18:9:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Source
described	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
described	Tense=Past	lexicographic
describing	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
describes	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres	lexicographic

Translations (127)

ru оче́рчивать (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · nl omschrijven (to represent in words) · eo adjektivi (to represent in words) · cmn 描寫 /描写 (to represent in words) · is lýsa (to represent in words) · es describir (to represent in words) · sv beskriva (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · tg тасвир кардан (to represent in words) · he תיאר (to represent in words) · oc descriure (to represent in words) · lo ບັນຍາຍ (to represent in words) · kk суреттеу (to represent in words) · az təsvir etmək (to represent in words) · da beskrive (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · sk popísať (to represent in words) · lt išreikšti (to represent in words) · fi kuvailla (to represent in words) · dsb wopisowaś (to represent in words) · fr décrire (to represent in words) · ur بیان کریں (to represent in words) · sh opisívati (to represent in words) · mk опишува (to represent in words) · tr tanımlamak (to represent in words) · da beskrive (to represent in words) · de beschreiben (to represent in words) · uk опи́сувати (to represent in words) · ang āmearcian (to represent in words) · sv beskriva (to represent in words) · te వర్ణించు (to represent in words) · nb beskrive (to represent in words) · kw deskrifa (to represent in words) · lo ພັນຣະນາ (to represent in words) · bg очерта́вам (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · my သရုပ်ဖော် (to represent in words) · ca descriure (to represent in words) · mk опише (to represent in words) · ru описа́ть (to represent in words) · lv aprakstīt (to represent in words) · ru опи́сывать (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · mn тодорхойлох (to represent in words) · lad deskrivir (to represent in words) · hsb wopisować (to represent in words) · fa وصفیدن (to represent in words) · sk opísať (to represent in words) · bg опи́ша (to represent in words) · cmn 描述 (to represent in words) · mn зурах (to represent in words) · lt aprašyti (to represent in words) · grc ἐκφράζω (to represent in words) · lo ພັນນະນາ (to represent in words) · ta விவரி (to represent in words) · la dēscrībō (to represent in words) · hsb wopisać (to represent in words) · dsb wopisaś (to represent in words) · de beschreiben (to author a new taxon) · yi באַשרייבן (to represent in words) · cs popsat (to represent in words) · fa توصیف کردن (to represent in words) · arz وصف (to represent in words) · mn тайлбарлах (to represent in words) · nl beschrijven (to represent in words) · ast describir (to represent in words) · be апі́сваць (to represent in words) · ja 記述する (to represent in words) · el περιγράφω (to represent in words) · sk určiť (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · frr beskriiw (to represent in words) · eo priskribi (to represent in words) · ko 서술하다 (to represent in words) · lo ພັນລະນາ (to represent in words) · bn বর্ণনা করা (to represent in words) · eu deskribatzea (to represent in words) · pl opisywać (to represent in words) · ta வரை (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · my ဖော်ပြ (to represent in words) · kk сипаттау (to represent in words) · ka აღწერა (to represent in words) · ko 묘사하다 (to represent in words) · uk описа́ти (to represent in words) · de beschreiben (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · sq përshkruaj (to represent in words) · pl opisać (to represent in words) · sco describe (to represent in words) · io deskriptar (to represent in words) · gl describir (to represent in words) · sk opisovať (to represent in words) · vi mô tả (to represent in words) · pt descrever (to represent in words) · et kirjeldama (to represent in words) · sl opisovati (to represent in words) · ia describer (to represent in words) · vi miêu tả (to represent in words) · hy բնորոշել (to represent in words) · uz tasvirlamoq (to represent in words) · uz tavsiflamoq (to represent in words) · it descrivere (to represent in words) · fi kuvata (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · bg очерта́я (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · hi वर्णन करना (to represent in words) · hy նկարագրել (to represent in words) · th พรรณนา (to represent in words) · sh описи́вати (to represent in words) · sk popisovať (to represent in words) · fi luonnehtia (to represent in words) · hu leír (to represent in words) · sh опи́сати (to represent in words) · ro descrie (to represent in words) · kk бейнелеу (to represent in words) · sh opísati (to represent in words) · bg опи́свам (to represent in words) · ru описа́ть (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · fa بیانیدن (to represent in words) · nb beskrive (to give rise to a geometrical structure) · sl opisati (to represent in words) · om ibsuu (to represent in words) · km ពណ៌នា (to represent in words) · af beskryf (to represent in words) · be апіса́ць (to represent in words) · sv beskriva (to author a new taxon) · cs popisovat (to represent in words) · ja 描写する (to represent in words) · ar وَصَفَ (to represent in words) · cmn 形容 (to represent in words) · lo ຊີ້ແຈງ (to represent in words) · ru опи́сывать (to represent in words) · cy disgrifio (to represent in words) · ru очерти́ть (to give rise to a geometrical structure)

describe en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Antonyms

Deriveds

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Synonyms

Translations (127)