Detail vs. Describe — What's the Difference?

An individual part or item; a particular

To give an account of in speech or writing

Particulars considered individually and in relation to a whole

To convey an idea or impression of; characterize

A minor or an inconsequential item or aspect; a minutia

To represent pictorially; depict

A minute or thorough treatment or account

To trace the form or outline of

A discrete part or portion of a work, such as a painting, building, or decorative object, especially when considered in isolation.

(transitive) To represent in words.

A representation of such a part or portion

(transitive) To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out.

A small elaborated element of a work of art, craft, or design.

To give rise to a geometrical structure.

Such elements considered together

To introduce a new taxon to science by explaining its characteristics and particularly how it differs from other taxa.

The rendering of artistic detail

(obsolete) To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class.

A group of military personnel assigned to a particular duty, usually a fatigue duty.

To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out; as, to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle.

The duty assigned

To represent by words written or spoken; to give an account of; to make known to others by words or signs; as, the geographer describes countries and cities.

To report or relate explicitly or in particulars

To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class.

To provide with artistic or decorative detail

To use the faculty of describing; to give a description; as, Milton describes with uncommon force and beauty.

To assign to a particular duty

Give a description of;

To clean (a car interior, for example) meticulously.

To give an account or representation of in words;

To market to (a physician) the drugs sold by one's company,

Identify as in botany or biology, for example

(countable) A part small enough to escape casual notice.

Make a mark or lines on a surface;

(uncountable) A profusion of details.

(uncountable) The small parts that can escape casual notice.

A part considered trivial enough to ignore.

(countable) A person's name, address and other personal information.

A temporary unit or assignment.

An individual feature, fact, or other item, considered separately from the whole of which it is a part.

A narrative which relates minute points; an account which dwells on particulars.

(paintings) A selected portion of a painting.

(transitive) To explain in detail.

(transitive) To clean carefully (particularly of road vehicles) lang=en}}

To assign to a particular task.

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.

A narrative which relates minute points; an account which dwells on particulars.

The selection for a particular service of a person or a body of men; hence, the person or the body of men so selected.

A minor part, as, in a building, the cornice, caps of the buttresses, capitals of the columns, etc., or (called larger details) a porch, a gable with its windows, a pavilion, or an attached tower.

To relate in particulars; to particularize; to report minutely and distinctly; to enumerate; to specify; as, he detailed all the facts in due order.

To tell off or appoint for a particular service, as an officer, a troop, or a squadron.

To provide with fine or intricate added decoration.

An isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole;

A small part that can be considered separately from the whole;

Extended treatment of particulars;

A crew of workers selected for a particular task;

A temporary military unit;

Provide details for

Assign to a specific task;