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elaborate

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Definition of elaborate

adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪˈlab(ə)rət/

  • involving many carefully arranged parts or details; detailed and complicated in design and planning:elaborate security precautions elaborate wrought-iron gates
  • (of an action) lengthy and exaggerated:he made an elaborate pretence of yawning

verb

Pronunciation: /ɪˈlabəreɪt/

  • 1 [with object] develop or present (a theory, policy, or system) in further detail:the theory was proposed by Cope and elaborated by Osborn
  • [no object] add more detail concerning what has already been said:he would not elaborate on his news
  • 2 [with object] Biology (of a natural agency) produce (a substance) from its elements or simpler constituents: many amino acid and peptide hormones are elaborated by neural tissue

Derivatives

elaborately

Pronunciation: /-rətli/

adverb

elaborateness

Pronunciation: /-rətnɪs/

noun

elaboration

Pronunciation: /-ˈreɪʃ(ə)n/

noun

elaborative

Pronunciation: /-rətɪv/

adjective

elaborator

Pronunciation: /-reɪtə/

noun

Origin:

late 16th century (in the sense 'produced by effort of labour', also in elaborate (sense 2 of the verb)): from Latin elaborat- 'worked out', from the verb elaborare, from e- (variant of ex-) 'out' + labor 'work'

Spelling help

Spell elaborate with -bor- in the middle.

elaborate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of elaborate in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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