Dictionary definition · distinguish
verb
- mark as different"We distinguish several kinds of maple"
- detect with the senses"The fleeing convicts were picked out of the darkness by the watchful prison guards"
- be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense"His modesty distinguishes him from his peers"
- make conspicuous or noteworthy
- identify as in botany or biology, for example
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).