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tr.v. de·scribed, de·scrib·ing, de·scribes 1. To give an account of in speech or writing: describe a sea voyage. 2. To convey an idea or impression of; characterize: She described her childhood as a time of wonder and discovery. 3. To represent pictorially; depict: Goya's etchings describe the horrors of war in grotesque detail. 4. To trace the form or outline of: describe a circle with a compass. [Middle English describen, from Latin dēscrībere, to write down : dē-, de- + scrībere, to write; see skrībh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] de·scriba·ble adj. de·scriber n. Synonyms: describe, narrate, recite, recount, relate, report These verbs mean to tell the facts, details, or particulars of something in speech or in writing: described the accident; narrated their travel experiences; an explorer reciting her adventures; a mercenary recounting his exploits; related the day's events; reported what she had seen. |
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