elaborate

adjective

/ɪˈlæbərət/

[usually before noun]

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very complicated and detailed; carefully prepared and organized
- elaborate designs
- She had prepared a very elaborate meal.
- an elaborate computer system
Extra Examples
- highly elaborate carvings
- It all turned out to be an elaborate hoax.
- The ceiling was tiled in an elaborate pattern.
- This elaborate deception fooled his family for ages.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- look
- seem
- …
adverb
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
See full entry
Word Originlate 16th cent. (in the sense ‘produced by effort of labour’): from Latin elaborat- ‘worked out’, from the verb elaborare, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out’ + labor ‘work’.

elaborate

verb

/ɪˈlæbəreɪt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they elaborate	/ɪˈlæbəreɪt/ /ɪˈlæbəreɪt/
he / she / it elaborates	/ɪˈlæbəreɪts/ /ɪˈlæbəreɪts/
past simple elaborated	/ɪˈlæbəreɪtɪd/ /ɪˈlæbəreɪtɪd/
past participle elaborated	/ɪˈlæbəreɪtɪd/ /ɪˈlæbəreɪtɪd/
-ing form elaborating	/ɪˈlæbəreɪtɪŋ/ /ɪˈlæbəreɪtɪŋ/

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[intransitive, transitive] to explain or describe something in a more detailed way
- elaborate (on/upon something) He said he was resigning but did not elaborate on his reasons.
- elaborate something She went on to elaborate her argument.
Extra Examples
- Let me briefly elaborate on this.
- They refused to elaborate on the reasons for their decision.
- This point will be elaborated further in the next chapter.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- further
- at length
- briefly
- …
verb + elaborate
- attempt to
- try to
- refuse to
- …
preposition
- on
- upon
See full entry
[transitive] elaborate something to develop a plan, an idea, etc. and make it complicated or detailed
- In his plays he takes simple traditional tales and elaborates them.

Word Originlate 16th cent. (in the sense ‘produced by effort of labour’): from Latin elaborat- ‘worked out’, from the verb elaborare, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out’ + labor ‘work’.