Main Entry:

de·tect

Pronunciation:

\di-ˈtekt, dē-\

Function:

verb

Etymology:

Middle English, from Latin detectus, past participle of detegere to uncover, detect, from de- + tegere to cover — more at thatch

Date:

1574

transitive verb 1 : to discover the true character of 2 : to discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of <detect alcohol in the blood> 3 : demodulate intransitive verb : to work as a detective

— de·tect·abil·i·ty \-ˌtek-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— de·tect·able \-ˈtek-tə-bəl\ adjective