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From Middle English descriven, from Old French descrivre, from Latin dēscrībō (I copy off, transcribe, sketch off, describe in painting or writing), from (off) + scrībō (write); see scribe and shrive.



describe (third-person singular simple present describes, present participle describing, simple past and past participle described)

  1. (transitive) To represent in words.
    The feeling is difficult to describe, but not unpleasant.
    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.
      [] 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.
  2. (transitive) To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out.
    • 1826, James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans
      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.
  3. (transitive, mathematics) To give rise to a geometrical structure.
    The function describes a very complex surface.
  4. (transitive, biology) To reveal a new species by scientifically explaining its characteristics and particularly how it differs from other species.
    The fungus was first described by a botanist.
  5. (obsolete) To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class.
    • Bible, Joshua xviii. 9


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  1. second-person singular present active imperative of dēscrībō




  1. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present indicative form of describir.
  2. Informal second-person singular () affirmative imperative form of describir.