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elaborate
5 dictionary results for: elaborate
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
e·lab·o·rate       [adj. i-lab-er-it; v. i-lab-uh-reyt] Pronunciation Key adjective, verb, -rat·ed, -rat·ing.
–adjective
1.worked out with great care and nicety of detail; executed with great minuteness: elaborate preparations; elaborate care.
2.marked by intricate and often excessive detail; complicated.
–verb (used with object)
3.to work out carefully or minutely; develop to perfection.
4.to add details to; expand.
5.to produce or develop by labor.
6.Physiology. to convert (food, plasma, etc.) by means of chemical processes into a substance more suitable for use within the body.
–verb (used without object)
7.to add details in writing, speaking, etc.; give additional or fuller treatment (usually fol. by on or upon): to elaborate upon a theme or an idea.
[Origin: 1575–85; < L élabōrātus (ptp. of élabōrāre) worked out, equiv. to é- e- + labōr- work + -ātus -ate1]

—Related forms
e·lab·o·rate·ly, adverb
e·lab·o·rate·ness, noun
e·lab·o·ra·tive, adjective
e·lab·o·ra·tor, noun

—Synonyms 1. perfected, painstaking. 2. ornate. Elaborate, labored, studied apply to that which is worked out in great detail. That which is elaborate is characterized by great, sometimes even excessive, minuteness of detail: elaborate preparations for a banquet. That which is labored is marked by excessive, often forced or uninspired, effort: a labored style of writing. That which is studied is accomplished with care and deliberation, and is done purposely, sometimes even having been rehearsed: a studied pose. 3, 7. refine, improve.
—Antonyms 1. simple.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
e·lab·o·rate       (ĭ-lāb'ər-ĭt)  Pronunciation Key 
adj.  
  1. Planned or executed with painstaking attention to numerous parts or details.
  2. Intricate and rich in detail.

v.   (ĭ-lāb'ə-rāt') e·lab·o·rat·ed, e·lab·o·rat·ing, e·lab·o·rates

v.   tr.
  1. To work out with care and detail; develop thoroughly.
  2. To produce by effort; create.

v.   intr.
  1. To become elaborate.
  2. To express at greater length or in greater detail: asked me to elaborate on my proposal.


[Latin ēlabōrātus, past participle of ēlabōrāre, to work out : ē-, ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + labōrāre, to work (from labor, work).]

e·lab'o·rate·ly adv., e·lab'o·rate·ness n., e·lab'o·ra'tion n., e·lab'o·ra'tor n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean marked by complexity of detail: an elaborate lace pattern; the eye, a complicated organ; an intricate problem.
Antonym: simple

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
elaborate

adjective
1. marked by complexity and richness of detail; "an elaborate lace pattern" 
2. developed or executed with care and in minute detail; "a detailed plan"; "the elaborate register of the inhabitants prevented tax evasion"- John Buchan; "the carefully elaborated theme" [syn: detailed] 

verb
1. add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; "She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation" [ant: abbreviate] 
2. produce from basic elements or sources; change into a more developed product; "The bee elaborates honey" 
3. make more complex, intricate, or richer; "refine a design or pattern" [syn: complicate] 
4. work out in detail; "elaborate a plan" 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Elaborate

E*lab"o*rate\, a. [L. elaboratus, p. p. of elaborare to work out; e out + laborare to labor, labor labor. See Labor.] Wrought with labor; finished with great care; studied; executed with exactness or painstaking; as, an elaborate discourse; an elaborate performance; elaborate research.

Drawn to the life in each elaborate page. --Waller.

Syn: Labored; complicated; studied; perfected; high-wrought. -- E*lab"o*rate*ly, adv. -- E*lab"o*rate*ness, n.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Elaborate

E*lab"o*rate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Elaborated; p. pr. & vb. n. Elaborating.]

1. To produce with labor

They in full joy elaborate a sigh, --Young.

2. To perfect with painstaking; to improve or refine with labor and study, or by successive operations; as, to elaborate a painting or a literary work.

The sap is . . . still more elaborated and exalted as it circulates through the vessels of the plant. --Arbuthnot.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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