describe
pronunciation
How to pronounce describe in British English:
UK [dɪˈskraɪb]
How to pronounce describe in American English:
US [dɪˈskraɪb]
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- Verb:
- give a description of
- to give an account or representation of in words
- identify as in botany or biology, for example
- make a mark or lines on a surface
Word Origin
- describe
- describe: [15] To describe something is literally to ‘write it down’. The word comes from Latin dēscrībere, a compound verb formed from the prefix dē- ‘down’ and scrībere ‘write’ (source of English scribe, script, etc). English originally borrowed it via Old French descrivre in the 13th century as descrive, in which the metaphorical sense ‘give an account of’ had already developed, and this was grafted on to the Latin verb when it was reborrowed directly in the 15th century. The derivative nondescript was coined (originally as a term in biological classification) in the 17th century.=> ascribe, scribe, script
- describe (v.)
- early 13c., descriven, from Old French descrivre, descrire (13c.), from Latin describere "to write down, copy; sketch, represent" (see description). Reconstructed with Latin spelling 16c. Related: Describable; described, describes, describing.
Example
- 1. And given three minutes to describe themselves .
- 2. Ask your friends for a few words to describe you .
- 3. I don 't know how to describe that pain .
- 4. I describe places where society has broken down or collapsed .
- 5. Describe the way I smell .