design

¹de·sign

verb \di-ˈzīn\

Definition of DESIGN

transitive verb

1

: to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan : devise, contrive

2

a : to conceive and plan out in the mind <he designed the perfect crime>

b : to have as a purpose : intend <she designed to excel in her studies>

c : to devise for a specific function or end <a book designed primarily as a college textbook>

3

archaic : to indicate with a distinctive mark, sign, or name

4

a : to make a drawing, pattern, or sketch of

b : to draw the plans for <design a building>

intransitive verb

1

: to conceive or execute a plan

2

: to draw, lay out, or prepare a design

— de·sign·ed·ly \-ˈzī-nəd-lē\ adverb

Examples of DESIGN

1. A team of engineers designed the new engine.
2. Who designed the book's cover?
3. He designed the chair to adjust automatically.
4. They thought they could design the perfect crime.
5. design a strategy for battle

Origin of DESIGN

Middle English, to outline, indicate, mean, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French designer to designate, from Medieval Latin designare, from Latin, to mark out, from de- + signare to mark — more at sign

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DESIGN

Synonyms

aim, allow [chiefly Southern & Midland], aspire, calculate, contemplate, intend, go [chiefly Southern & Midland], look, mean, meditate, plan, propose, purport, purpose

Related Words

dream, hope, wish; consider, debate, mull (over), ponder; attempt, endeavor, strive, struggle, try; plot, scheme; accomplish, achieve, effect, execute, perform

Rhymes with DESIGN

A-line, affine, airline, align, alkyne, alpine, assign, at sign, balkline, baseline, beeline, benign, bloodline, blue line, blush wine, bovine, bowline, branchline, breadline, bright-line, buntline, bustline, byline, call sign, canine, caprine, carbine, carmine, cervine, chow line, clothesline, cloud nine, coastline, combine, compline, condign, confine, consign, corvine, cosign, cutline, dateline, deadline, decline, define, divine, dragline, driveline, earthshine, Einstein, eiswein, end line, enshrine, entwine, equine, ethyne, fall line, fault line, feline, ferine, first-line, flatline, flight line, foul line, fräulein, frontline, front line, goal line, gold mine, grapevine, guideline, hairline, hard-line, hard pine, headline, hemline, high sign, hipline, Holbein, hotline, ice wine, incline, indign, in fine, in-line, Irvine, jawline, jug wine, landline, land mine, lang syne, lifeline, load line, longline, lupine, mainline, main line, malign, midline, moline, moonshine, neckline, off-line, old-line, online, opine, outline, outshine, ovine, Pauline, peace sign, Petrine, pipeline, piscine, pitch pine, plotline, plumb line, plus sign, pontine, porcine, potline, pound sign, propine, punch line, rapine, recline, redline, red pine, refine, reline, repine, resign, Rhine wine, ridgeline, roofline, Sabine, saline, Scotch pine, scrub pine, setline, shoreline, short line, sideline, sight line, skyline, snow line, soft-line, spring line, straight-line, strandline, straw wine, streamline, strip mine, strychnine, subline, sunshine, supine, syncline, taurine, tie-line, times sign, topline, touchline, towline, tramline, trapline, tree line, trephine, trotline, truckline, trunk line, tumpline, turbine, untwine, ursine, vespine, V sign, vulpine, waistline, white line, white pine, white wine, woodbine, yard line, zebrine, Z line

²design

noun

Definition of DESIGN

1

a : a particular purpose held in view by an individual or group <he has ambitious designs for his son>

b : deliberate purposive planning <more by accident than design>

2

: a mental project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down

3

a : a deliberate undercover project or scheme : plot

b plural : aggressive or evil intent —used with on or against <he has designs on the money>

4

: a preliminary sketch or outline showing the main features of something to be executed <the design for the new stadium>

5

a : an underlying scheme that governs functioning, developing, or unfolding : pattern, motif <the general design of the epic>

b : a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something (as a scientific experiment); also : the process of preparing this

6

: the arrangement of elements or details in a product or work of art

7

: a decorative pattern <a floral design>

8

: the creative art of executing aesthetic or functional designs

Examples of DESIGN

1. There are problems with the design of the airplane's landing gear.
2. I like the design of the textbook.
3. I love the sculpture's design.
4. The machine had a flawed design.
5. the design and development of new products
6. Correcting mistakes is part of the design process.
7. a number of design concepts

First Known Use of DESIGN

1569

Related to DESIGN

Synonyms

arrangement, blueprint, plan, game, game plan, ground plan, master plan, program, project, road map, scheme, strategy, system

Related Words

collusion, conspiracy, plot; contrivance, device, gambit, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, subterfuge, trick; counterplan, counterstrategy; means, tactic, technique, way; procedure, protocol; conception, idea, projet, proposal, specific(s), specification(s); aim, intent, intention, purpose; diagram, formula, layout, map, pattern, platform, policy, recipe, setup

Near Antonyms

means, method, way

See Synonym Discussion at intention, plan

de·sign

noun \di-ˈzīn\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of DESIGN

: a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something (especially a scientific experiment); also : the process of preparing this

—design transitive verb