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Webster 1913 Edition

Detect

De-tect′

(dē̍-tĕkt′)
,
Adj.
[L.
detectus
, p. p. of
detegere
to uncover, detect;
de
+
tegere
to cover. See
Tegument
.]
Detected.
[Obs.]
Fabyan.

De-tect′

(dē̍-tĕkt′)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Detected
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Detecting
.]
1.
To uncover; to discover; to find out; to bring to light;
as, to
detect
a crime or a criminal; to
detect
a mistake in an account.
Plain good intention . . . is as easily discovered at the first view, as fraud is surely
detected
at last.
Burke.
Like following life through creatures you dissect,
You lose it in the moment you
detect
.
Pope.
2.
To inform against; to accuse.
[Obs.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Detect

DETECT

,
Verb.
T.
[L., to cover.] Literally, to uncover; hence, to discover; to find out; to bring to light; as, to detect the ramifications and inosculations of the fine vessels. But this word is especially applied to the discovery of secret crimes and artifices. We detect a thief, or the crime of stealing. We detect the artifices of the man, or the man himself. We detect what is concealed, especially what is concealed by design.

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