discover
verbUK /dɪˈskʌvə/ · CA, US /dɪˈskʌvɚ/
Etymology From Middle English discoveren, from Old French descovrir, from Late Latin discoperīre < discooperiō, discooperīre, from Latin dis- + cooperiō. Displaced native Old English onfindan.
8 senses
- 1To find or learn something for the first time.
- 2To remove the cover from; to uncover (a head, building etc.).
- 3To expose, uncover.
- 4To create by moving a piece out of another piece's line…
- 5To question (a person) as part of discovery in a lawsuit.
- 6To reveal (information); to divulge, make known.
- 7To reconnoitre, explore (an area).
- 8To manifest without design; to show; to exhibit.
1
To find or learn something for the first time.
- Turning the corner, I discovered a lovely little shop. I discovered that they sold widgets.
- All this has led to an explosion of protest across China, including among a middle class that has discovered nimbyism.2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
2
Obsolete To remove the cover from; to uncover (a head, building etc.).
- He set down his bags beside him, on the beautiful red floor, and he took off his hat, for he had reached his destination, discovering his scant red hair, and laid it on the table beside him.1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:
3
Archaic To expose, uncover.
- The gust of wind discovered a bone in the sand.
4
Board games, Chess, Games To create by moving a piece out of another piece's line of attack.
- This move discovers an attack on a vital pawn.
5
Law To question (a person) as part of discovery in a lawsuit.
- Indeed, the plaintiffs suggest that they may not need to call Ms. Samji at all if they are allowed to discover the defendant on the new documents before any new trial takes place.2019 July 2, Ward K. Branch, “Gordon v. Canada, 2017 FC 454”, in CanLII, retrieved 13 Apr 2021:
6
Archaic To reveal (information); to divulge, make known.
- I discovered my plans to the rest of the team.
- Go, draw aside the curtains, and discover / The several caskets to this noble prince.c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]:
3 more examples
- Prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue.1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Adversity”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
- It was in vain to diſcover my Reſentments, which were always turned into Ridicule; and I was forced to reſt with Patience while my noble and moſt beloved Country was ſo injuriouſly treated.1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author’s Love of His Country. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page 269:
- John discovered himself to his parents, and Elizabeth to hers, and the wedding-day was soon fixed, and such a wedding was never seen; before or since in the island of Rügen[.]1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 312:
7
Obsolete To reconnoitre, explore (an area).
- they seyde the same, and were aggreed that Sir Clegis, Sir Claryon, and Sir Clement the noble, that they sholde dyscover the woodys, bothe the dalys and the downys.1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum ix”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book V, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:
8
Obsolete To manifest without design; to show; to exhibit.
- The scandal of a lie is in a manner lost and annihilated when diffused among several thousands; as a drop of the blackest tincture wears away and vanishes when mixed and confused in a considerable body of water; the blot is still in it, but is not able to discover itself.1712 October 21 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “FRIDAY, October 11, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 507; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 492:
- The youth discovered a taste for sculpture.1871, Charles John Smith, Synonyms Discriminated:
1 more example
- The English Cooks keep all their Spices in separate boxes, but the French Cooks make a spicey mixture that does not discover a predominancy of any one of the spices over the others.1806, Alexander Hunter, Culina Famulatrix Medicinæ, page 125:
- Synonyms
- Derived terms
- codiscover, discoverability, discoverable, -ly → in…, -ly, un…, discovered → nondiscovered, undiscovered, discoveree, discoverer, discoverment, discovery → nondiscovery, misdiscover, precover, prediscover, rediscover, undiscover, after-discovered evidence, discovered attack, discovered check
- Related terms
- detect, find, invent, stumble upon
- Hypernyms
- see
- Hyponyms
- come to find out, find one's way, find out, find out the hard way