descry [dɪˈskraɪ] v. t.
1.) To catch sight of (something difficult to discern).
2.) To discover by careful observation or scrutiny; detect: descried a message of hope in her words (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language).
Etymology: Middle English descrien, from Old French descrier, to call, cry out.
"Fate is Jove's perfect and eternal eye,
For Jove and Fate our ev'ry deed descry.
Come, gentle pow'rs, well born, benignant,
Atropos, Lachesis, and Clotho nam'd:
Unchang'd, aerial, wand'ring in the night,
Restless, invisible to mortal sight;
Fates all-producing, all-destroying hear,
Regard the incense and the holy pray'r;
Propitious listen to these rites inclin'd,
And far avert distress with placid mind."
(The Hymns of Orpheus, Thomas Taylor (trans.), 1792)
(Medici-Zyklus: de schikgodinnen voorspellen de toekomst van Maria de Medici, Peter Paul Rubens, ~1623)
4 comments:
Descry -- a good word for a pirate to use. "Yarrr, I descry the great white whale to starboard."
ohmygod it's like the perfect combination of 'discover' and 'cry'
Don't really like this word. It sounds hard, sharp-edged... I don't know, but I feel like if this word would be used in a sentence, it'd probably be " he descried the dead body, the flesh moving with maggots".
Okay so I really really hate this word now.
What if it's only a thought of a glimpse? Something you're never really able to catch sight of, no matter how hard you try or think you might.
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