de·tail (dĭ-tāl', dē'tāl') n. An individual part or item; a particular. See Synonyms at item. Particulars considered individually and in relation to a whole: careful attention to detail. A minor or an inconsequential item or aspect; a minutia: skipped the details to get to the main point. A minute or thorough treatment or account: went into detail about his travels. A discrete part or portion of a work, such as a painting, building, or decorative object, especially when considered in isolation. A representation of such a part or portion: a detail of a Rembrandt portrait illustrating the technique of chiaroscuro. A small elaborated element of a work of art, craft, or design. Such elements considered together: the intricate detail of a rococo altarpiece. The rendering of artistic detail: the fine detail of the painter's brushwork. The selection of one or more troops for a particular duty, usually a fatigue duty. The personnel so selected. The duty assigned: garbage detail.
A small elaborated element of a work of art, craft, or design. Such elements considered together: the intricate detail of a rococo altarpiece. The rendering of artistic detail: the fine detail of the painter's brushwork. The selection of one or more troops for a particular duty, usually a fatigue duty. The personnel so selected. The duty assigned: garbage detail.
The selection of one or more troops for a particular duty, usually a fatigue duty. The personnel so selected. The duty assigned: garbage detail.
tr.v.
(dĭ-tāl') de·tailed, de·tail·ing, de·tails
To report or relate minutely or in particulars. To name or state explicitly: detailed the charges against the defendant. To provide with artistic or decorative detail: detailed the quilt with colorful appliqué. To select and dispatch for a particular duty. To clean (a car interior, for example) meticulously.
[French détail, from Old French detail, a piece cut off, from detaillir, to cut up : de-, de- + tailler, taillier, to cut; see tailor.] de·tail'er n. |