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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Descriptive \De*scrip"tive\, a. [L. descriptivus: cf. F. descriptif.] Tending to describe; having the quality of representing; containing description; as, a descriptive figure; a descriptive phrase; a descriptive narration; a story descriptive of the age. [1913 Webster] Descriptive anatomy, that part of anatomy which treats of the forms and relations of parts, but not of their textures. Descriptive geometry, that branch of geometry. which treats of the graphic solution of problems involving three dimensions, by means of projections upon auxiliary planes. --Davies & Peck (Math. Dict. ) -- De*scrip"tive*ly, adv. -- De*scrip"tive*ness, n. [1913 Webster]