different between description vs recapitulation

English

Etymology

From Old French description, from Latin d?scr?pti?, noun of action of d?scr?b? (“I describe”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??sk??p??n/

Noun

description (countable and uncountable, plural descriptions)

1. A sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species.
2. The act of describing; a delineation by marks or signs.
3. A set of characteristics by which someone or something can be recognized.

   The zoo had no lions, tigers, or cats of any description.

4. (taxonomy) A scientific documentation of a taxon for the purpose of introducing it to science.

   The type description of the fungus was written by a botanist.

5. (linguistics) The act or practice of recording and describing actual language usage in a given speech community, as opposed to prescription, i.e. laying down norms of language usage.
6. (linguistics) A descriptive linguistic survey.

Synonyms

• (characteristics): sort, kind, type, variety

Derived terms

Related terms

• describe
• descriptive

Translations

See also

• prescription
• descriptivism

Further reading

• description in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• description in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

See also

• synopsis
• interpretation

Anagrams

• discerption, predictions

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin d?scripti?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?s.k?ip.sj??/
• Homophone: descriptions

Noun

description f (plural descriptions)

1. description

Related terms

• décrire
• descriptif

Further reading

• “description” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Etymology

From Latin d?scripti?.

Noun

description f (oblique plural descriptions, nominative singular description, nominative plural descriptions)

1. description

Related terms

• descrivre

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman recapitulaciun et al., Middle French recapitulacion et al., or their source, from Late Latin recapitulatio (“summing up, summary”), from the participle stem of recapitulare (“recapitulate”), from re- + capitulum (“chapter, section”), diminutive of caput (“head”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??i?k??p?tj??le??(?)n/
• (US) enPR: re·k?·p?·ch?·l??sh?n, IPA^(key): /?i?.k??p?.t???le?.?(?)n/

Noun

recapitulation (countable and uncountable, plural recapitulations)

1. A subsequent brief recitement or enumeration of the major points in a narrative, article, or book.

   Synonym: summary

3. (music) The third major section of a musical movement written in sonata form, representing thematic material that originally appeared in the exposition section.
4. (biology) The reenactment of the embryonic development in evolution of the species.
5. (theology) The symmetry provided by Christ's life to the teachings of the Old Testament; the summation of human experience in Jesus Christ.
   • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin 2010, p. 144:

     one would expect God's final purpose to be expressed in his created world, since the doctrine of recapitulation showed that this is where his plans had worked out before.

Related terms

• recapitulate

Translations

Further reading

• recapitulation on Wikipedia.Wikipedia