describe

Where does the word "describe" come from? It comes from Latin describere, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Describe’s story begins in Latin: describere meant “to write down, to copy.” To write down, to copy, from de- (down) and scribere (to write). It reached English by 1400s as describe. Settled as the English word for giving an account of something in words. Today, describe means to give a detailed account of something in words.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient describere "to write down, to copy", to write down, to copy, from de- (down) and scribere (to write).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s describe "to give a detailed account of something in words", settled as the English word for giving an account of something in words.