Discrete
/dɪˈskriːt/noun
Separate and distinct; made up of individually distinct parts.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, *discretus*, comes from *discernere*, the same root behind ‘discern’ and ‘secret,’ so the word carries an ancient idea of separating what is hidden from what is seen.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
?
“To sift, separate, or cut apart.”
Latin
Latin
cernere
“To sift, separate, decide, or distinguish.”
Latin
Latin
discernere
“To separate apart, distinguish, or discern clearly.”
Late Latin
Latin
discretus
“Separated, distinct, or set apart.”
Middle English
English
discrete
“Separated, distinct, or individually divided.”
Modern English
English
discrete
“Separate and distinct; not continuous.”