diff --git a/extra/descriptive/descriptive-tests.factor b/extra/descriptive/descriptive-tests.factor
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..4aabbb9be0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extra/descriptive/descriptive-tests.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+USING: descriptive kernel math tools.test continuations prettyprint io.streams.string ;
+IN: descriptive.tests
+
+DESCRIPTIVE: divide ( num denom -- fraction ) / ;
+
+[ 3 ] [ 9 3 divide ] unit-test
+[ T{ known f H{ { "num" 3 } { "denom" 0 } } "Division by zero" divide } ] [ [ 3 0 divide ] [ ] recover ] unit-test
+
+[ "USING: descriptive math ;\nIN: descriptive.tests\nDESCRIPTIVE: divide ( num denom -- fraction ) / ;\n" ] [ \ divide [ see ] with-string-writer ] unit-test
+
+DESCRIPTIVE:: divide* ( num denom -- fraction ) num denom / ;
+
+[ 3 ] [ 9 3 divide* ] unit-test
+[ T{ known f H{ { "num" 3 } { "denom" 0 } } "Division by zero" divide* } ] [ [ 3 0 divide* ] [ ] recover ] unit-test
+
+[ "USING: descriptive math ;\nIN: descriptive.tests\nDESCRIPTIVE:: divide* ( num denom -- fraction ) num denom / ;\n" ] [ \ divide* [ see ] with-string-writer ] unit-test
diff --git a/extra/descriptive/descriptive.factor b/extra/descriptive/descriptive.factor
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..f5a71ab6e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extra/descriptive/descriptive.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+USING: words kernel sequences combinators.lib locals
+locals.private accessors parser namespaces continuations
+inspector definitions ;
+IN: descriptive
+
+ERROR: known args underlying word ;
+
+M: known summary
+    word>> "The " swap word-name " word encountered an error."
+    3append ;
+
+: rethrower ( word inputs -- quot )
+    reverse [ [ set ] curry ] map concat [ ] like
+    [ H{ } make-assoc ] curry
+    [ 2 ndip known ] 2curry ;
+
+: [descriptive] ( word def -- newdef )
+    swap dup "declared-effect" word-prop in>> rethrower
+    [ recover ] 2curry ;
+
+: define-descriptive ( word def -- )
+    [ "descriptive-definition" set-word-prop ]
+    [ dupd [descriptive] define ] 2bi ;
+
+: DESCRIPTIVE:
+    (:) define-descriptive ; parsing
+
+PREDICATE: descriptive-word < word
+    "descriptive-definition" word-prop ;
+
+M: descriptive-word definer drop \ DESCRIPTIVE: \ ; ;
+
+M: descriptive-word definition
+    "descriptive-definition" word-prop ;
+
+: DESCRIPTIVE::
+    (::) define-descriptive ; parsing
+
+PREDICATE: descriptive-lambda < lambda-word
+    "descriptive-definition" word-prop ;
+
+M: descriptive-lambda definer drop \ DESCRIPTIVE:: \ ; ;
+
+M: descriptive-lambda definition
+    "lambda" word-prop body>> ;
diff --git a/extra/locals/locals.factor b/extra/locals/locals.factor
index 4b7ab8cdad..d4fc920b25 100755
--- a/extra/locals/locals.factor
+++ b/extra/locals/locals.factor
@@ -363,14 +363,6 @@ M: lambda-word definer drop \ :: \ ; ;
 M: lambda-word definition
     "lambda" word-prop body>> ;
 
-: lambda-word-synopsis ( word -- )
-    dup definer.
-    dup seeing-word
-    dup pprint-word
-    stack-effect. ;
-
-M: lambda-word synopsis* lambda-word-synopsis ;
-
 PREDICATE: lambda-macro < macro
     "lambda" word-prop >boolean ;
 
@@ -379,8 +371,6 @@ M: lambda-macro definer drop \ MACRO:: \ ; ;
 M: lambda-macro definition
     "lambda" word-prop body>> ;
 
-M: lambda-macro synopsis* lambda-word-synopsis ;
-
 PREDICATE: lambda-method < method-body
     "lambda" word-prop >boolean ;