Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Planned or executed with painstaking attention to numerous parts or details.
- adj. Intricate and rich in detail.
- v. To work out with care and detail; develop thoroughly.
- v. To produce by effort; create.
- v. To become elaborate.
- v. To express at greater length or in greater detail: asked me to elaborate on my proposal.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To produce with labor; work out; produce in general.
- Specifically To improve or refine by successive operations; work out with great care; work up fully or perfectly.
- To be or become elaborate; be elaborated.
- Wrought with labor; finished with great care and nicety of detail; much studied; executed with exactness; highly finished: as, an elaborate discourse; an elaborate performance.
- Synonyms Labored, perfected, highly wrought.
Wiktionary
- adj. Highly complex, detailed, or sophisticated
- adj. intricate, fancy, flashy, or showy
- v. To give further detail or explanation (about).
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Wrought with labor; finished with great care; studied; executed with exactness or painstaking
- v. To produce with labor.
- v. To perfect with painstaking; to improve or refine with labor and study, or by successive operations.
WordNet 3.0
- v. add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing
- v. work out in detail
- adj. marked by complexity and richness of detail
- v. produce from basic elements or sources; change into a more developed product
- adj. developed or executed with care and in minute detail
- v. make more complex, intricate, or richer
Etymologies
- Latin ēlabōrātus, past participle of ēlabōrāre, to work out : ē-, ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + labōrāre, to work (from labor, work).
Examples
“Editors at "USA Today" say one of their former reporters engaged in what they call elaborate deception in a story claiming the Serb military ordered ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.”
“Horrorfest brought them out in elaborate splendor.”
“The boys got off to rough start when they came on stage in elaborate costumes and make up and Kimmel asked if they were "hit by Siegfried and Roy's tour bus.”
The Huffington Post: Tim & Eric Explain 'Chrimbus' Traditions On Kimmel (VIDEO)
“Mr. Rose's restaurant specializes in elaborate tasting menus, but soup is a favorite at home, where he lacks a staff of five and a dishwasher.”
“Actors, including University of Maryland theater students in elaborate makeup, scare visitors, but don't touch them.”
The Washington Post: Dueling 'Field of Screams' Halloween venues pit Md. nonprofit against Pa. group
“It dealt, in elaborate detail, with one factor in the persistence of the established, namely, the capitalistic bias of the universities and common schools.”
“But with Wizards owner Ted Leonsis introducing his team in elaborate fashion with a 3-D production and former owner Irene Pollin sitting in the front row, the team gave the 17,803 fans who came a memorable contest.”
The Washington Post: A memorable home opener for Wall, Wizards
“There are two gentlemen who bring their reloads to the field in elaborate and ornate carrying cases which when opened reveal separate hull compartments, felt lined?!, and varying gizmos that that look more like some mad scientist's Doc bag from the 18th century.”
“Fulton's strengths are in elaborate detail and delicate construction.”
The Nightingales of Troy: Summary and book reviews of The Nightingales of Troy by Alice Fulton.
“Although they contain elaborate decoration they do not contain the kind of detailed information for Privy Chamber expenditure as Mary's accounts from 1536 until 1543 do. 155 There are no references in the accounts to valentines, card games, or entertainments.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘elaborate’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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Rats
rats, rat, tree-rat, pilori-rat, prorate, pro rata, Ratso Rizzo, ratfink, rat pack, Rat Pack, Rats!, rat race and 157 more...
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multiple meaning words
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sense, serve, please, say, profile, draw, weather, bear, project, ship, profiler, tune and 140 more...
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It's Complicated
Words about complication, complexity.
nookshotten, finicky, challenging, intricate, complex, complication, involved, elaborate, labyrinthine, involute, sophisticated, tangled and 4 more...
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eatknee's list
Words that I enjoy and enjoy saying frequently.
Surge2 a Jun 6, 2011