Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-TECT', v.t. [L. detego, detectus; de and tego, to cover, W. toi, Eng. to deck, which see.]

Literally, to uncover; hence, to discover; to find out; to bring to light; as, to detect the ramifications and inosculations of the fine vessels. But this word is especially applied to the discovery of secret crimes and artifices. We detect a thief, or the crime of stealing. We detect the artifices of the man, or the man himself. We detect what is concealed, especially what is concealed by design.