Etymology : Middle English, from Middle French descovrir, from Late Latin discooperire, from Latin dis- + cooperire to cover; more at COVER
Pronunciation : dis-k&-v&r
Function : verb
Date : 14th century
1. find, gain knowledge, learn of -. discover\dis*cov"er\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. discovered ; p. pr. & vb. n. discovering.] [oe. discoveren, discuren, descuren, of. descovrir, descouvrir, f. découvrir; des- (l. dis-) + couvrir to cover. see:
cover.].
2. to uncover. [obs.] whether any man hath pulled down or discovered any church. grindal.
3. to disclose; to lay open to view; to make visible; to reveal; to make known; to show (what has been secret, unseen, or unknown). go, draw aside the curtains, and discover the several caskets to this noble prince. prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue. we will discover ourselves unto them. xiv.
4. discover not a secret to another. xxv.
5. 3. to obtain for the first time sight or knowledge of, as of a thing existing already, but not perceived or known; to find; to ascertain; to espy; to detect. some to discover islands far away.
6. to manifest without design; to show. the youth discovered a taste for sculpture. j. smith.
7. to explore; to examine. [obs.].
8. To uncover.
9. To disclose; to lay open to view; to make visible; to reveal; to make known; to show.
10. To obtain for the first time sight or knowledge of, as of a thing existing already, but not perceived or known; to find; to ascertain; to espy; to detect.
11. To manifest without design; to show.
12. To explore; to examine.
13. To discover or show one's self. make a discovery; "She found that he had lied to her"; "The story is false, so far as I can discover" make a discovery, make a new finding; "Roentgen discovered X-rays"; "Physicists believe they found a new elementary particle" see:
for the first time; make a discovery; "Who discovered the North Pole?".
14. 1. If you discover something that you did not know about before, you become aware of it or learn of it. She discovered that they'd escaped It was difficult for the inspectors to discover which documents were important Haskell did not live to discover the deception It was discovered that the tapes were missing. = find out, learn.
15. If a person or thing is discovered, someone finds them, either by accident or because they have been looking for them. A few days later his badly beaten body was discovered on a roadside outside the city. = find.
16. When someone discovers a new place, substance, scientific fact, or scientific technique, they are the first person to find it or become aware of it. the first European to discover America They discovered how to form the image in a thin layer on the surface. + discoverer discoverers dis·cov·er·er the myth of Columbus as the heroic discoverer of the Americas 500 years ago.
17. If you say that someone has discovered a particular activity or subject, you mean that they have tried doing it or studying it for the first time and that they enjoyed it. I wish I'd discovered photography when I was younger.
18. When a actor, musician, or other performer who is not well-known is discovered, someone recognizes that they have talent and helps them in their career. The Beatles were discovered in the early 1960's.