expound
/ɪkˈspaʊnd/ verb
Forms expounds expounding expounded
- verb (formal, transitive) To set out the meaning of; to explain or discuss at length. “Today I'll expound at length the theory propounded last week.”
- verb (formal, intransitive, with on or upon) To make a statement, especially at length. “He expounded often on the dangers of the imperial presidency.”
Synonyms
spell out elaborate lucubrate expatiate exposit enlarge flesh out expand dilate set forth
Etymology
From Middle English expounden, from Old French espondre, from Latin exponere. Doublet of expone and expose.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To lay open; to expose to view; to examine. [Obs.]
- verb To lay open the meaning of; to explain; to clear of obscurity; to interpret; as, to expound a text of Scripture, a law, a word, a meaning, or a riddle.
Etymology [OE. exponen, expounen, expounden, fr. L. exponere to set out, expose, expound; ex out + ponere to put: cf. OE. expondre, expondre. See Position.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “expound”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details