Library / English Dictionary

DEFINE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Decide upon or fix definitely

Example:

specify the parameters

Synonyms:

define; determine; fix; limit; set; specify

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "define" is one way to...):

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "define"):

quantify (use as a quantifier)

name (mention and identify by name)

reset (set anew)

define (give a definition for the meaning of a word)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Give a definition for the meaning of a word

Example:

Define 'sadness'

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "define" is one way to...):

define; determine; fix; limit; set; specify (decide upon or fix definitely)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "define"):

redefine (give a new or different definition of (a word))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

definition (a concise explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase or symbol)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Determine the essential quality of

Synonyms:

define; delimit; delimitate; delineate; specify

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "define" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "define"):

determine (fix in scope; fix the boundaries of)

redefine (give a new or different definition to)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Determine the nature of

Example:

What defines a good wine?

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "define" is one way to...):

characterise; characterize (be characteristic of)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Show the form or outline of

Example:

The camera could define the smallest object

Synonyms:

define; delineate

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "define" is one way to...):

show (make visible or noticeable)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

defining (any process serving to define the shape of something)

definition (clarity of outline)

Credits

 Context examples: 

A coded value specifying when this adverse event ended with respect to the sponsor-defined reference period.

(Adverse Event End Relative To Reference Code, NCI Thesaurus)

A specific identifiable level (defined qualitatively or quantitatively) of probability of adverse event being caused or associated with the product or procedure administration to a patient.

(Adverse Event Attribution to Product or Procedure, NCI Thesaurus)

They defined moderate to vigorous activity in terms of walking speed and the number of steps taken per minute as measured by a pedometer.

(Another Reason to Exercise: Protecting Your Sight, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Defining these differences may help identify children at elevated risk for developing food allergies.

(Scientists identify unique subtype of eczema linked to food allergy, National Institutes of Health)

The head-on collision of the Sausage galaxy was a defining event in the early history of the Milky Way.

(The Gaia Sausage: the major collision that changed the Milky Way, University of Cambridge)

The finding gave the scientists a unique opportunity to define how astrocytes and GLT-1 work.

(Research on repetitive worm behavior has implications for understanding human diseases, National Science Foundation)

Another large area with well-defined signatures is found across the northwest part of the crater rim and ejecta.

(Dawn Discovers Evidence for Organic Material on Ceres, NASA)

The order of these bases defines genes and other information that the cell needs to function.

(Expanding the Genetic Alphabet, NIH)

Her feelings as she read were scarcely to be defined.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Any action that can, in the context of a study or a post-marketing investigation, be defined, planned, scheduled or performed.

(Activity, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)