First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
describe
verb de·scribe \di-ˈskrīb\
: to tell someone the appearance, sound, smell, events, etc., of (something or someone) : to say what something or someone is like
: to make a motion or draw a line that shows the shape of (something)
de·scribedde·scrib·ing
Full Definition of DESCRIBE
transitive verb
1
: to represent or give an account of in words <describe a picture>
2
: to represent by a figure, model, or picture : delineate
3
obsolete : distribute
4
: to trace or traverse the outline of <describe a circle>
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Origin of DESCRIBE
Middle English, from Latin describere, from de- + scribere to write — more at scribe
DESCRIBE Defined for Kids
describe
verb de·scribe \di-ˈskrīb\
de·scribedde·scrib·ing
Definition of DESCRIBE for Kids
1
: to write or tell about <Describe what you saw.>
2
: to draw the outline of <First, describe a circle.>
Word Root of DESCRIBE
The Latin word scribere, meaning “to write,” and its form scriptus give us the roots scrib and script. Words from the Latin scribere have something to do with writing. To scribble is to write quickly or carelessly. To describe is to write or tell about something or someone. A manuscript is a document written by hand. To transcribe is to write down something spoken or copy something written.
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