elaborate on — to add more details, information, or explanation to something that has already been said or written
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to add more details, information, or explanation to something that has already been said or written
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪˈlæbəreɪt ɑn/
Example Sentences
- My boss asked me to elaborate on why I was late, but 'I was chasing a cat that stole my sandwich' didn't seem like enough detail for him.
- The teacher asked Sarah to elaborate on her science project about volcanoes.
- When the reporter asked the politician to elaborate on his tax policy, he suddenly remembered he had an urgent dentist appointment.
elaborate on
VERB[/ɪˈlæbəreɪt ɑn/]
to add more details, information, or explanation to something that has already been said or written
Asked about the tiny gray pebble, the crazy scientist pulled a heavy lever to violently blast a massive 3D hologram, aggressively elaborating on its origin.
E(out) + LABOR(work/sweat) + ON(table) — to elaborate on a plan is to violently pour your physical labor out to carve a massive, detailed map directly ON the table.
Seeing the boss lazily yawn, the desperate worker revealed the massive diagram he had drawn and violently slammed the table to elaborate on his great idea.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin 'elaborare', meaning 'to work out' or 'to produce with care'. The term combines the prefix 'e-' (thoroughly) with 'laborare' (to work), originally describing the meticulous crafting of something through dedicated effort, similar to how a chef carefully prepares ingredients into a finished dish.
Breakdown
e- (thoroughly, completely) + laborare (to work, to labor) = to work thoroughly or completely in developing and refining an idea into a detailed, finished explanation.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My boss asked me to elaborate on why I was late, but 'I was chasing a cat that stole my sandwich' didn't seem like enough detail for him.”
“The teacher asked Sarah to elaborate on her science project about volcanoes.”
“When the reporter asked the politician to elaborate on his tax policy, he suddenly remembered he had an urgent dentist appointment.”
“Could you elaborate on the benefits of this new software system?”
📚Related Words
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