describe
UK[dɪˈskraɪb]US[dɪˈskraɪb]
v
to say or write what someone or something is like; to give a detailed account of something.
v
to draw or trace the outline of a shape.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
scribe
de
down, completely
scribe
write
Etymology
The word 'describe' has a clear and logical journey from its Latin origins to its modern abstract meaning. It derives from the Latin verb describere, which is a compound of the prefix de- ("down, completely") and the verb scribere ("to write"). Literally, it meant "to write down" or "to copy by writing." This concrete sense evolved in Late Latin and Middle English to encompass the more abstract act of representing something in words with thorough detail, as if "writing it down" for others to see mentally. The secondary meaning related to drawing an outline preserves the original, more physical sense of marking down a shape.
Analysis
Structure: de (down, completely) + scribe (write)
de: A Latin prefix meaning "down from, off, completely." It often indicates reversal, removal, or intensification.
scribe: From Latin scribere, meaning "to write." It functions as the core root indicating the action of writing or marking.
Examples
Can you describe the person you saw at the scene?
The book vividly describes life in a medieval village.
The mathematician asked the student to describe a circle on the graph.