detail
UK /ˈdiː.teɪl/ · US /ˈdi.teɪl/ noun, verb
Forms details detailing detailed
- noun (countable) A part small enough to escape casual notice. “Note this fine detail in the lower left corner.”
- noun (uncountable) A profusion of details. “This etching is full of fine detail.”
- noun (uncountable) The small parts that can escape casual notice.
- noun A part considered trivial enough to ignore. “I don't concern myself with the details of accounting.”
- noun (countable) A person's name, address and other personal information. “The arresting officer asked the suspect for his details.”
- noun (military, law enforcement) A temporary unit or assignment.
- noun An individual feature, fact, or other item, considered separately from the whole of which it is a part.
- noun A narrative which relates minute points; an account which dwells on particulars.
- verb (transitive) To explain in detail. “I'll detail the exact procedure to you later.”
- verb (transitive) To clean carefully (particularly of road vehicles, always pronounced /ˈdiːteɪl/) “We need to have the minivan detailed.”
- verb (transitive, military, law enforcement) To assign to a particular task.
Synonyms
minutia technicality trifle triviality contingent detachment portion section specify detach second item point particular
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French détail, from Old French detail, from detaillier, from de- + taillier (“to cut”).
Compare typologically Bulgarian подробност (podrobnost), Czech podrobnost, Russian подро́бность (podróbnostʹ) (akin to дроби́ть (drobítʹ)).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A minute portion; one of the small parts; a particular; an item; - -used chiefly in the plural; as, the details of a scheme or transaction.
- noun A narrative which relates minute points; an account which dwells on particulars.
- verb To relate in particulars; to particularize; to report minutely and distinctly; to enumerate; to specify; as, he detailed all the facts in due order.
- verb To tell off or appoint for a particular service, as an officer, a troop, or a squadron.
Etymology [F. détail, fr. détailler to cut in pieces, tell in detail; pref. dé- (L. de or dis-) + tailler to cut. See Tailor.]
Etymology [Cf. F. détailler to cut up in pieces, tell in detail. See Detail, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “detail”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details