1. past tense of descry; to catch sight of something distant or difficult to see
Usage: literary; formal

Examples

• The sailor descried a ship on the horizon.
• Through the fog, she descried the outline of the lighthouse.
• The scout descried enemy troops moving through the valley.
• From the tower, he descried riders approaching the castle.
• The explorer descried land after weeks at sea.
• She descried a figure walking along the distant shore.