rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: scribere
Latin

scribere

write

Forms

  • scrib-
  • script- — Latin stem of the form meaning ‘written.’

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *skribh-, ‘cut; scratch.’

Note

The same root links writing with engraving.

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noun

description

dih-SKRIP-shuhn/dɪˈskrɪpʃn/

A spoken or written account of what something is like.

The listener sketches a red bicycle from the speaker's description of its frame and basket.

An adult listens to someone describing a distinctive red bicycle and sketches the relevant curved frame and basket on a plain pad, details matching the bicycle pictured in a small inset, no words.
Etymology
deLatindown, away; removal
+scriptLatinwrite
+ionLatinan action, process, or result

Built on “write down,” this noun named the act of depicting or representing something. An account of someone's or something's qualities is a representation in words, which can be spoken as well as written.

In context

Cass Thompson Career Advice1:59
a job description with very distinct line by line details of what they would do in this position
10 Things to Never Say in an Interview | Interview Tips

More examples

  • He gives the officer a detailed description of his missing bike.
  • The product description lists the backpack's size and weight.
  • The novel's vivid descriptions make the landscape easy to imagine.

Forms

description · descriptions

describe verb — To give an account of something's features.

descriptive adjective — Giving details about features or qualities.

Similar words

account
Often covers events or experiences, not just features or qualities.
portrayal
Emphasizes the impression created of a person or thing.