detect

detect (something) in (something)

To distinguish the presence of something in something else, typically something that is being masked or is present in only a small quantity. Do I detect sarcasm in that statement, Jane? I think I detect a pinch of cinnamon in this, but I could be wrong.
See also: detect
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

detect something in something

to recognize or identify something in something. Can you detect the anger in her voice? I detect a bit of sarcasm in your comments.
See also: detect
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • a straw will show which way the wind blows
  • a/the feel of (something)
  • (I) wouldn't (do something) if I were you
  • a crack at (someone or something)
  • all right
  • (you) wanna make something of it?
  • all for the best
  • a thing of the past
  • a slew of (something)
  • a bird in the hand
References in periodicals archive
Detect switches in glucose meters initiate the process of analyzing the blood, thereby affecting the accuracy of the reading.
In South Wales, the cost of PCSOs per crime almost doubled last year from pounds 640,700 in 2008 when they detected 14 crimes for wages of pounds 9m.
The first sub algorithm, the "short term algorithm", runs well to detect internet worm.
These are "chemical signals given off by one animal to be detected by another animal," says Charles J.
Comparison of SaV sequences detected in this study with sequences in GenBank indicated that all 7 isolates closely matched previously reported SaV sequences (Figure 2).
Intended as a research tool, the T790M quantitative mutation assay detects the presence of a mutant thymidine base in a background of normal cytosine bases at position 2369 of the EGFR gene.
These detect crashes as well as discriminate between any rough-road and misuse conditions, explains Suh.
In addition to detecting bacteria and their toxins, Medina and other chemists at the Wyndmoor center are using advanced technologies to develop methods to screen, detect, and confirm multiple chemical residues--such as veterinary drugs and pesticides--in food products.
One potential use for the technique would be to detect enterotoxins in liquid whole eggs.
Abnormalities within these exfoliated cells could be used to detect and identify' precancerous lesions or very early stage cancers if highly sensitive technologies were available to identify the presence of a few abnormal cells among millions of normal cells.
Computed tomography (CT) detected a nonhomogeneous soft-tissue mass with indistinct borders (figure 2).
One of them is to run two buggies in the hilly minefield with a 10-meter-long tether in between that tries to detect metal.
And they must immediately detect and respond to any suspected compromise.
[We had asked previously asked Bruce Mirken to write an introduction to HIV testing, including reliability of the tests today, oral HIV tests, rapid HIV tests, anonymous testing, the home test kit (which makes anonymous testing available in all states), and viral load testing to detect HIV in the "window period" before the immune system has produced antibodies, which standard HIV tests detect.
A word, for example, is processed in the human brain in a split second--too short for PET or fMRI to detect. Also, brain waves are important for rapid brain communication across large neural distances, coordinating and binding together various mental functions.