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delineate

verb, adj — 6 senses

delineate

verb

UK /dɪˈlɪniːeɪt/

Etymology 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.

1

To sketch out, draw or trace an outline.

  • Bellmark delineated the space and began to dig. After clearing to about a foot deep he paused.1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
2

To depict, represent with pictures.

3

To describe or depict with words or gestures.

4

Figuratively To outline or mark out.

Synonyms
mark out, demark, demarcate, delimit
Derived terms
delineation, delineative, delineator, delineatory, nondelineated, redelineate, undelineated

delineate

adj

Etymology 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.

1

Obsolete, As a participle Delineated, sketched out.

  • That forme which […] is delineate in the planispheare1619, John Bainbridge, An astronomicall description of the late comet from the 18. of Nouemb. 1618. to the 16. of December following:
2

Obsolete, As a participial adjective Sketched out, portrayed, described, defined.

  • ſtill do I ſee in Him delineate his mother's viſage.1596, [attributed to William Shakespeare; Thomas Kyd], The Raigne of King Edward the Third: […], London: […] [T. Scarlet] for Cuthbert Burby, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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