present participle of report: currently giving a spoken or written account of something
The journalist is reporting live from the stadium.
Students are reporting their results to the class.
✦ From Latin “reportare” (bring back), through Old French “reporter,” with English usage dating back to the 14th century; “reporting” as the present participle follows standard English verb formation.
a spoken or written description of something that has happened or been observed
I read an interesting report about climate change in the newspaper this morning.
The evening news anchor delivered a live report from the scene of the fire.
✦ From Old French ‘report’ (n.) and ‘reporter’ (v.) meaning “to carry back” and later “tell, relate”, from Latin ‘re-’ + ‘portare’ (“to carry”).
to give a spoken or written account of something that has happened
Journalists report facts so that the public can stay informed.
She will report the results of the experiment tomorrow.
a formal document that presents information or the results of an investigation, study, or test
The engineer submitted a safety report to the city council.
My doctor gave me a medical report after the check-up.
to go to a place and announce that you have arrived for duty or an appointment
New soldiers must report for duty at 6 a.m.
All contestants should report to the registration desk.
to tell an authority about something, especially a problem or wrongdoing
You should report any suspicious packages to the police.
She decided to report the theft to her insurance company.
the loud sharp sound made by a gunshot or an explosion
We heard the sharp report of a rifle echo across the valley.
The firecracker went off with a loud report that startled the children.
a person whose job is to record every word spoken in a court or other formal meeting, usually using a special machine, so that an exact written record exists
The court reporter typed every word the witness said.
The judge asked the reporter to read back the defendant's last statement.
✦ extension of sense ‘one who reports’ to the legal context in the mid-1800s, when verbatim records of trials became standard
a book or set of books that regularly publishes the written decisions of a particular court or group of courts
Law students often consult the Federal Reporter to study precedent.
This case was first printed in the regional reporter in 1987.
✦ from the idea of a volume that ‘reports’ judicial opinions to the public, first appearing in English law publishing in the 16th century
