English Reference

Word

descriptor

Phoneticsde·scrip·tor

US/dɪsˈkɹɪpˌtɝ/

UK/dɪskɹˈɪptɐ/

Definition

n. a word or phrase that describes a specific quality or feature of something. In computing, it is often a piece of data that tells you how to handle a file or a process.

n. a word, phrase, or data structure that provides a description or classification of an entity. In technical contexts, it refers to a handle or identifier used by an operating system to manage resources like files or network sockets.

Examples

“The color red is a common descriptor for this car.”

“The software uses a unique file descriptor to ensure that the correct data is read from the correct location on the hard drive.”

“Linguists often use a set of phonetic descriptors to precisely capture the subtle acoustic differences between similar vowel sounds across various dialects.”

Examples

simple

“The color red is a common descriptor for this car.”

contextual

“The software uses a unique file descriptor to ensure that the correct data is read from the correct location on the hard drive.”

complex

“Linguists often use a set of phonetic descriptors to precisely capture the subtle acoustic differences between similar vowel sounds across various dialects.”

Real-World Examples

“The website descriptor now reads: “Made in Italy and India with Chanakya”.”
The Guardian · 22 Sept 2026
“The earthiness in coffee is a broad descriptor that encompasses several different taste nuances.”
FNB Coffee · 23 Apr 2025
“References like these are essential for the DSA process to work effectively, and help panelists precisely rate specific sensory descriptors in coffee.”
Specialty Coffee Association · 13 Jun 2019
“Brazilian naturals with chocolate and nut descriptors usually work well at medium to medium-dark.”
Green Coffee Collective · 16 Apr 2026

Domains

ComputingLinguistics

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/descriptor

English Reference