Definitions for DESCRIBE
dɪˈskraɪbde·scribe

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.7 / 3 votes

1. describe, depict, drawverb

   give a description of

   "He drew an elaborate plan of attack"

2. report, describe, accountverb

   to give an account or representation of in words

   "Discreet Italian police described it in a manner typically continental"

3. trace, draw, line, describe, delineateverb

   make a mark or lines on a surface

   "draw a line"; "trace the outline of a figure in the sand"

4. identify, discover, key, key out, distinguish, describe, nameverb

   identify as in botany or biology, for example

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. describeverb

   To represent in words.

   The feeling is difficult to describe, but not unpleasant.

2. describeverb

   To give rise to a geometrical structure.

3. describeverb

   To scientifically reveal a new species by technically explaining its characteristics and particularly how it differs from other species.

   The fungus was first described by a botanist.

4. Etymology: From descriven, from descrivre, from describo, from de + scribo; see scribe and shrive.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To DESCRIBEverb

   Etymology: describo, Latin.

   1. To mark out any thing by the mention of its properties.

   I pray thee, overname them; and as thou nam’st them, I will describe them; and according to my description, level at my affection. William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice.

   He that writes well in verse will often send his thoughts in search, through all the treasure of words that express any one idea in the same language, that so he may comport with the measures, or the rhyme of the verse which he writes, or with his own most beautiful and vivid sentiments of the thing he describes. Isaac Watts, Improvement of the Mind.

   2. To delineate; to mark out; to trace: as a torch waved about the head describes a circle.3. To distribute into proper heads or divisions.

   Men passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book. Jos. xviii. 9.

   4. To define in a lax manner by the promiscuous mention of qualities general and peculiar. See Description.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. describe

   Description is the pattern of narrative development that aims to make vivid a place, object, character, or group. Description is one of four rhetorical modes (also known as modes of discourse), along with exposition, argumentation, and narration. In practice it would be difficult to write literature that drew on just one of the four basic modes.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. describe

   To describe is to convey or provide a detailed account or representation of something, including its features, qualities or characteristics, in spoken or written form. It may also involve expressing or illustrating an event, process, or situation.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:1.7 / 3 votes

1. Describeverb

   to represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out; as, to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle

2. Describeverb

   to represent by words written or spoken; to give an account of; to make known to others by words or signs; as, the geographer describes countries and cities

3. Describeverb

   to distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class

4. Describeverb

   to use the faculty of describing; to give a description; as, Milton describes with uncommon force and beauty

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:4.5 / 2 votes

1. Describe

   dē-skrīb′, v.t. to trace out or delineate: to give an account of.—adj. Describ′able.—n. Describ′er. [L. describĕre—de, down, and scribĕre, scriptum, to write.]

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. describe

   To create using words.

   They did describe how they felt and it was great to know they too were also happy and felt very loved.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 16, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Inform
   • Mark

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'DESCRIBE' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2425

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'DESCRIBE' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2430

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'DESCRIBE' in Verbs Frequency: #93

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce DESCRIBE?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say DESCRIBE in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of DESCRIBE in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of DESCRIBE in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of DESCRIBE in a Sentence

1. Stephen BreyerVice:

   Senators will often describe a nominee they oppose as too' liberal' or too' conservative,' what they say, reported by the press to their constituents, reinforces the view that politics, not legal merits, drives Supreme Court decisions.

2. Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage:

   We still receive several letters from kids – they weren’t even born at the time when our music was first played on the radio, and yet they’re curious about us. They have questions about the songs and they describe how much the songs have meant to them. New generations want to learn more about us… The book felt right. And it really was like going back home again.

3. Nancy Chabot:

   Sometimes we describe it as running a golf cart into a great pyramid or something like that, but for Dimorphos, this really is about asteroid deflection, not disruption. This isn't going to blow up the asteroid ; it isn't going to put it into lots of pieces.

4. Filipe Sousa:

   I have no words to describe what happened. I cannot face the suffering of these people.

5. Stacey Abrams:

   We have to have a transformation of how we view the role of law enforcement, how we view the construct of public safety, and how we invest not only in the work that we need them to do to protect us but the work that we need to do to protect and build our communities, and that’s the conversation we’re having: We’ll use different language to describe it, but fundamentally we must have reformation and transformation.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=DESCRIBE
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Describe
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=DESCRIBE
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Describe
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DESCRIBE
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=DESCRIBE
8. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=DESCRIBE