Delineate
/dɪˈlɪn.i.eɪt/noun
To describe or portray something precisely; to outline or trace its form.
Did you know?“Delineate” comes from Latin lineāre, “to draw a line,” from līnea, “linen thread, line,” so the word’s magic is literally about turning a thread into a boundary.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lei-
“to bend, twist, or be slimy; a root that later fed words for lines and threads”
Latin
Latin
līnea
“a linen thread, string, or line”
Latin
Latin
dēlīneāre
“to sketch out, trace, or outline completely”
Old French
Old French
delineer
“to draw or depict in outline”
Middle English
English
delineaten
“to represent by drawing or describing”
Modern English
English
delineate
“to describe or outline clearly and precisely”