v.
Pronunciation: di- ' tekt, d ē -
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin detectus, past participle of detegere to uncover, detect, from de- + tegere to cover ― more at THATCH
Date: 1574
transitive verb
1 : to discover the true character of
2 : to discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of < detect alcohol in the blood>
3 : DEMODULATE
intransitive verb : to work as a detective
– de · tect · abil · i · ty \ - ˌ tek-t ə - ' bi-l ə -t ē \ noun
– de · tect · able \ - ' tek-t ə -b ə l \ adjective