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

see all synonyms and antonyms

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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