verb
-
to discern or make out; catch sight of
-
to discover by looking carefully; detect
Other Word Forms
- descrier noun
- undescried adjective
- undescrying adjective
Etymology
Origin of descry
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English descrien, from Old French de(s)crïer “to proclaim, decry”; dis- 1, cry
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Once the employer of 500 people, the mill is a keyhole through which most of Dundee’s history can be descried.
From Washington Post
The six and twentieth day of April, about four o’clock in the morning, we descried the land of Virginia.
From Literature
Another witness descried their relationship as being "more like mother and daughter".
From BBC
But he was comfortable with the show, which he descried as “about 85% true to life.”
From Seattle Times
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton descried the judge's order as a "political stunt".
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
