describe
part of speech
verb (describe, describes, described, describing); nouns: description, descriptive (adjective)
meaning for a pupil
1) To say or write what someone or something is like: how it looks, sounds, feels, smells or behaves. tree →
2) To tell what happened, step by step. tree →
3) To draw or make a shape or line (formal maths: describe a circle). tree →
sense in the lessons
Interpretation: Sefer Yetzirah says the root SPR can mean counting, writing and telling. Tradition sees this as showing that number, text and speech are linked in creation. In the primary lessons: In English lessons pupils describe characters and settings using adjectives and the five senses. In science they describe observations, what they saw happen. In maths they describe shapes (sides, corners, symmetry) and patterns. In safety: if you get lost or see something wrong, you may need to describe a person, place or car to the police. Phrases: describe how, describe what, hard to describe, describe as.
examples
- However, only one, ספ״ר SPR, is capable of describing all three: counting (סָפַר safar 'he counted', מִסְפָּר mispar 'number, count'), writing (סֵפֶר sefer 'book, scroll'), and speaking (סִפֵּר sipper 'he told, accounted', סִפּוּר sippur 'telling, account'). (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) tree →
- He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, unto the confines of light and darkness. (Writings JOB.26.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- And ye shall describe the land into seven portions, and bring the description hither to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. (Prophets JOS.18.6, JPS 1917) tree →
- And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven portions in a book, and they came to Joshua unto the camp at Shiloh. (Prophets JOS.18.9, JPS 1917) tree →
- Describe your favourite place using all five senses. tree →
- Can you describe the person who took the bike? tree →
- Describe what happened when we added vinegar to the baking soda. tree →
- The book describes life on a farm long ago. tree →
- Describe this shape: it has four equal sides and four right angles. tree →
- I can't describe how happy I was! tree →
- He described the castle as dark and cold. tree →
- It was a pleasure to hear Alfred describe anything. tree →
note
Spelling: describe (with «e» at the end), description (not «discription»). «Describe something to someone», not «describe someone something». In maths «describe a pattern» means say the rule in words.
In the corpora
- He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, unto the confines of light and darkness.
- When a chatbot describes its weekend or its picnic, it is making up a story, because it has no weekends.
- Zebras have black skin, so they are usually described as black with white stripes.
- Mountain gorillas were known to local people long before scientists first described them in 1902, and now there are about a thousand.
- Toad describes his house like an estate agent's advert: «an eligible self-contained gentleman's residence very unique ...
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «describe» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.