describe: [15] To describe something is literally to ‘write it down’. The word comes from Latin dēscrībere, a compound verb formed from the prefix dē- ‘down’ and scrībere ‘write’ (source of English scribe, script, etc). English originally borrowed it via Old French descrivre in the 13th century as descrive, in which the metaphorical sense ‘give an account of’ had already developed, and this was grafted on to the Latin verb when it was reborrowed directly in the 15th century. The derivative nondescript was coined (originally as a term in biological classification) in the 17th century. => ascribe, scribe, script
describe (v.)
early 13c., descriven, from Old French descrivre, descrire (13c.), from Latin describere "to write down, copy; sketch, represent" (see description). Reconstructed with Latin spelling 16c. Related: Describable; described, describes, describing.
雙語例句
1. Globalisation is a catch-all to describe increased international trade.
“全球化”是個泛稱，用以描述增進了的國際貿易。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Official handouts describe the Emperor as "particularly noted as a scholar".
官方印發的材料將皇帝描述為“尤以學識淵博而著稱”。
來自柯林斯例句
3. Even his closest allies describe him as forceful, aggressive and determined.
即使他最親密的盟友也認為他強硬決斷、咄咄逼人，不達目的誓不罷休。
來自柯林斯例句
4. The slim booklets describe a range of services and facilities.