discover
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /dɪˈskʌvə/
ipa: /dɪˈskʊvə/
ipa: /dɪˈskʌvɚ/
ipa: /dɪˈskavə/
rhymes: -ʌvə(ɹ)
Forms: form: discovers
form: discovering
form: discovered
form: discovered
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: discover
form: discover
form: discovered
form: discover
form: discoverest
form: discovered
form: discoveredst
form: discovers
form: discovereth
form: discovered
form: discover
form: discovered
form: discover
form: discovered
form: discover
form: -
form: discovering
form: discovered
form: discovre
Etymology: From Middle English discoveren, from Old French descovrir, from Late Latin discoperīre < discooperiō, discooperīre, from Latin dis- + cooperiō. Displaced native Old English onfindan.
Senses: examples: text: Turning the corner, I discovered a lovely little shop. I discovered that they sold widgets.
text: All this has led to an explosion of protest across China, including among a middle class that has discovered nimbyism.
ref: 2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
glosses: To find or learn something for the first time.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:
glosses: To remove the cover from; to uncover (a head, building etc.).
examples: text: The gust of wind discovered a bone in the sand.
glosses: To expose, uncover.
examples: text: This move discovers an attack on a vital pawn.
topics: board-games
chess
games
glosses: To create by moving a piece out of another piece's line of attack.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 2019 July 2, Ward K. Branch, “Gordon v. Canada, 2017 FC 454”, in CanLII, retrieved 13 Apr 2021:
topics: law
glosses: To question (a person) as part of discovery in a lawsuit.
examples: text: I discovered my plans to the rest of the team.
text: Go, draw aside the curtains, and discover / The several caskets to this noble prince.
ref: 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]:
text: Prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue.
ref: 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Adversity”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
text: 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.
ref: 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:
glosses: To reveal (information); to divulge, make known.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 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:
glosses: To reconnoitre, explore (an area).
examples: text: The youth discovered a taste for sculpture.
ref: 1871, Charles John Smith, Synonyms Discriminated:
text: 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.
ref: 1806, Alexander Hunter, Culina Famulatrix Medicinæ, page 125:
glosses: To manifest without design; to show; to exhibit.
Synonyms: sense: expose something previously covered
word: expose
sense: expose something previously covered
word: reveal
sense: expose something previously covered
word: uncover
sense: find something for the first time
word: come across
sense: find something for the first time
word: find
word: catch
word: check
word: come upon
word: detect
word: determine
word: discover
word: disinter
word: fish up
word: identify
word: learn
word: locate
word: map
word: navigate
word: pick up
word: pinpoint
word: place
word: position
word: recognize
word: search
word: spot
word: trace
word: track
word: unearth
Hypernyms: word: see
Hyponyms: word: come to find out
word: find one's way
word: find out
word: find out the hard way
Derived terms: sense: Affixed forms
word: codiscover
sense: Affixed forms
word: discoverability
sense: Affixed forms
word: discoverable
sense: Affixed forms
word: -ly → in…
sense: Affixed forms
word: -ly
sense: Affixed forms
word: un…
sense: Affixed forms
word: discovered → nondiscovered
sense: Affixed forms
word: undiscovered
sense: Affixed forms
word: discoveree
sense: Affixed forms
word: discoverer
sense: Affixed forms
word: discoverment
sense: Affixed forms
word: discovery → nondiscovery
sense: Affixed forms
word: misdiscover
sense: Affixed forms
word: precover
sense: Affixed forms
word: prediscover
sense: Affixed forms
word: rediscover
sense: Affixed forms
word: undiscover
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: after-discovered evidence
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: discovered attack
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: discovered check
Related terms: detect
find
invent
stumble upon