/ dɪˈskraɪb; NAmE / verb
1.
describe sb/sth (to / for sb) | describe sb/sth (as sth) to say what sb/sth is like :
[ vn ]
Can you describe him to me?
The man was described as tall and dark, and aged about 20.
Jim was described by his colleagues as 'unusual'.
[ v wh- ]
Describe how you did it.
[ v -ing ]
Several people described seeing strange lights in the sky.
[also vn -ing ]
2.
[ vn ] ( formal or technical ) to make a movement which has a particular shape; to form a particular shape :
The shark described a circle around the shoal of fish.
► de·scrib·able adjective
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin describere , from de- down + scribere write.