describe

verb

1. 1

   To represent in words.

   The feeling is difficult to describe, but not unpleasant.

   The geographer describes countries and cities.

   Several witnesses describe seeing lights in the sky that night.

   Between 8 and 9 p.m., the recorder at a meteorological station at Harrow, Middlesex, picked up 1,470 lightning flashes within a radius of 10 to 15 miles, and observers at the station described the storm as "probably one of the most spectacular of the century."

2. 2

   To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out.

   to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle

   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.

   His body was contracted and bent towards them, and described an undulatory movement like that of a worm writhing.

3. 3

   To give rise to a geometrical structure.

   The function describes a very complex surface.

4. 4

   To introduce a new taxon to science by explaining its characteristics and particularly how it differs from other taxa.

   The fungus was first described by a botanist.

5. 5

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

   Passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book.

Forms

past tense

described

past participle

described

present participle

describing

third person singular

describes