detail
//ˈdiː.teɪl//
Forms
- Plural
- details
- present (v1)
- detail
- past (v2)
- detailed
- past participle (v3)
- detailed
- present participle
- detailing
- 3rd person singular
- details
Definitions
1.A part small enough to escape casual notice.
- Note this fine detail in the lower left corner.
- We missed several important details in the contract.
2.The small parts that can escape casual notice.
- Attention to detail was said to be one of the secrets of Gerrard's success as a player.
3.A part considered trivial enough to ignore.
- Safety at work is not a mere detail.
- I don't concern myself with the details of accounting.
4.A profusion of details.
- This etching is full of fine detail.
1.To clean carefully (particularly of road vehicles, always pronounced /ˈdiːteɪl/)
- We need to have the minivan detailed.
2.To assign to a particular task.
3.To explain in detail.
- I'll detail the exact procedure to you later.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #971
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Uncommon
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
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)).