detect

English Online Dictionary. What means detect‎? What does detect mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈtɛkt/
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

Etymology 1

From Latin detectus, perfect passive participle of detegere (“to uncover or disclose”), from de- + tegere (“to cover”); see tegument, tile, thatch.

Verb

detect (third-person singular simple present detects, present participle detecting, simple past and past participle detected)

1. To discover or find by careful search, examination, or probing.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

• → Catalan: detectar
• → French: détecter
  • → Dutch: detecteren
• → Portuguese: detectar, detetar (Portugal)
• → Romanian: detecta
• → Spanish: detectar

See also

• discover
• find
• stumble upon

Adjective

detect (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Detected.

Etymology 2

Back-formation from detective.

Verb

detect (third-person singular simple present detects, present participle detecting, simple past and past participle detected)

1. (intransitive, informal) To work or solve cases as a detective.

References

• “detect”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “detect”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “detect”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
• “detect”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Anagrams

• dectet