different between discovery vs description

English

Alternative forms

• discoverie (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?s?k?v??i/

Noun

discovery (countable and uncountable, plural discoveries)

1. Something discovered.

   This latest discovery should eventually lead to much better treatments for disease.

2. (uncountable) The discovering of new things.

   The purpose of the voyage was discovery.

   Automatic discovery of RSS feeds by a Web browser.
3. (countable, archaic) An act of uncovering or revealing something; a revelation.
   • 1822, Alain René Le Sage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane

     Don Huberto actually fell in love with his kinswoman, and had presumption enough to declare his passion […] The lady being a woman of discretion, instead of making a discovery, which might have been attended with melancholy consequences, reprimanded her relation with gentleness […]

4. (law, uncountable) A pre-trial phase in which evidence is gathered.

   The prosecution moved to suppress certain items turned up during discovery.

5. (law, uncountable) Materials revealed to the opposing party during the pre-trial phase in which evidence is gathered.

   The defense argued that the plaintiff's discovery was inadequate.

Related terms

• discover verb
• discoverer noun
• e-discovery

Translations

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