microscopic detail
1
6.9
- noun
- /ˌmaɪkrəˈskɑːpɪk dɪˈteɪl/
:
detalle microscópico
- He spent half the day finishing up what observations he could make, describing what microscopic details of the "planimals" he could see with the portable sampling kit, but just a little after noon, Cydonia time, he stopped and said, "I think it's time we all had a little talk."
Examples
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For the rest of the week, forensic teams studied the area in microscopic detail, scientists scanned the area for any trace of radiation, and the lawns became a place of pilgrimage for psychics, religious sects, and UFO experts.
Fiction book (2002) -
The biologist observed the plant's leaves in microscopic detail, revealing intricate patterns and structures.
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The body was no different; it was a machine to be analyzed in microscopic detail.
Academic text (2001) -
Like all rate constants, a diffusion coefficient folds together a wealth of microscopic detail.
Academic text (2001) -
The extent to which we have wrapped ourselves around the budget axle is exacerbated by the growing tendency to examine budget proposals in even finer, almost microscopic detail.
Academic text (1990) -
Danjamar saw the long hawk nose, its pores and blackheads, its deviated septum, in microscopic detail, even though the door was at an odd angle from him and maybe twenty feet away.
Fiction book (2000) -
Learning from condensed-matter physics, we gravity theorists need to develop good schemes for effective theories that offer approximate predictions for large-scale phenomena and that perhaps will help us to discover universal features insensitive to microscopic details.
Academic text (2012) -
The artist captured every microscopic detail in her painting, making it come alive under close inspection.
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He analyzed the specimen in microscopic detail to identify its unique features.
Synonyms
5
9.3
A very small detail that is not important
How Specific
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'microscopic detail' is directly compositional: 'microscopic' (extremely small) modifies 'detail' (a specific small component), so the meaning of a very tiny or finely observed feature is predictable from the parts. This straightforward adjective + noun combination follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Microscopic detail comes from the image of looking through a microscope: microscopic means too small to see and detail means a small part. That's why the phrase means 'a very small or carefully hidden feature'.