description

answer to the description of someone

Fig. to match a particular set of physical or facial characteristics. Chuck answers to the description his sister gave us. The man in police custody answers to the description of the burglar.

See also: answer

beggar (all) description

to defy description; to be unable to be described. The house was a horrible mess. The place beggared description. Our reaction to the proposal beggars description. We were deeply disturbed for days.

See also: beggar

blow-by-blow account and blow-by-blow description

Fig. a detailed description (of an event) given as the event takes place. (This referred originally to reporting on boxing.) I want to listen to a blow-by-blow account of the prizefight. The lawyer got the witness to give a blow-by-blow description of the argument.

See also: account

play-by-play description

a description of an event given as the event is taking place. (Usually in reference to a sporting event.) And now here is Bill Jones with a play-by-play description of the baseball game. John was giving me a play-by-play description of the argument going on next door.