Link Centre Dictionary

delineate

de·li·neate

UK/dɪˈlɪniːeɪt/ US/dɪˈlɪniˌeɪt/ uncommon obsolete
adjective (1) verb (5)

adjective

1.

verb

1.

delineate the form or outline of

  • “The tree was clearly defined by the light”
  • “The camera could define the smallest object”
Synonyms
2.
3.

trace the shape of

Synonyms
4.

make a mark or lines on a surface

  • “draw a line”
  • “trace the outline of a figure in the sand”
Synonyms
5.

Origin

First attested in 1559; borrowed from Latin dēlīneātus, perfect passive participle of dēlīneo (“to sketch out, to delineate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from dē- + līnea (“line”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.