'Detect' definitions:

Definition of 'detect'

From: WordNet
verb
Discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of; "She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water"; "We found traces of lead in the paint" [syn: detect, observe, find, discover, notice]

Definition of 'Detect'

From: GCIDE
  • Detect \De*tect"\ (d[-e]*t[e^]kt"), a. [L. detectus, p. p. of detegere to uncover, detect; de + tegere to cover. See Tegument.] Detected. [Obs.] --Fabyan. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Detect'

From: GCIDE
  • Detect \De*tect"\ (d[-e]*t[e^]kt"), v. 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. [1913 Webster]
  • Plain good intention . . . is as easily discovered at the first view, as fraud is surely detected at last. --Burke. [1913 Webster]
  • Like following life through creatures you dissect, You lose it in the moment you detect. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To inform against; to accuse. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • He was untruly judged to have preached such articles as he was detected of. --Sir T. More.
  • Syn: To discover; find out; lay bare; expose. Detectable