Search Result for "discover": 
Wordnet 3.0

VERB (8)

1. discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of;
- Example: "She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water"
- Example: "We found traces of lead in the paint"
[syn: detect, observe, find, discover, notice]

2. get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally;
- Example: "I learned that she has two grown-up children"
- Example: "I see that you have been promoted"
[syn: learn, hear, get word, get wind, pick up, find out, get a line, discover, see]

3. make a discovery, make a new finding;
- Example: "Roentgen discovered X-rays"
- Example: "Physicists believe they found a new elementary particle"
[syn: discover, find]

4. make a discovery;
- Example: "She found that he had lied to her"
- Example: "The story is false, so far as I can discover"
[syn: discover, find]

5. find unexpectedly;
- Example: "the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb"
- Example: "she struck a goldmine"
- Example: "The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake"
[syn: fall upon, strike, come upon, light upon, chance upon, come across, chance on, happen upon, attain, discover]

6. make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret;
- Example: "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"
- Example: "The actress won't reveal how old she is"
- Example: "bring out the truth"
- Example: "he broke the news to her"
- Example: "unwrap the evidence in the murder case"
[syn: unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, break, give away, let out]

7. see for the first time; make a discovery;
- Example: "Who discovered the North Pole?"

8. identify as in botany or biology, for example;
[syn: identify, discover, key, key out, distinguish, describe, name]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Discover \Dis*cov"er\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Discovered; p. pr. & vb. n. Discovering.] [OE. discoveren, discuren, descuren, OF. descovrir, descouvrir, F. d['e]couvrir; des- (L. dis-) + couvrir to cover. See Cover.] 1. To uncover. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Whether any man hath pulled down or discovered any church. --Abp. Grindal. [1913 Webster] 2. To disclose; to lay open to view; to make visible; to reveal; to make known; to show (what has been secret, unseen, or unknown). [Archaic] [1913 Webster] Go, draw aside the curtains, and discover The several caskets to this noble prince. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] We will discover ourselves unto them. --1 Sam. xiv. 8. [1913 Webster] Discover not a secret to another. --Prov. xxv. 9. [1913 Webster] 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. [WordNet sense 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8] [1913 Webster] Some to discover islands far away. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 4. To manifest without design; to show. [1913 Webster] The youth discovered a taste for sculpture. --C. J. Smith. [1913 Webster] 5. To explore; to examine. [Obs.] Syn: To disclose; bring out; exhibit; show; manifest; reveal; communicate; impart; tell; espy; find; out; detect. -- To Discover, Invent. We discover what existed before, but remained unknown; we invent by forming combinations which are either entirely new, or which attain their end by means unknown before. Columbus discovered America; Newton discovered the law of gravitation; Whitney invented the cotton gin; Galileo invented the telescope. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Discover \Dis*cov"er\, v. i. To discover or show one's self. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] This done, they discover. --Decker. [1913 Webster] Nor was this the first time that they discovered to be followers of this world. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

discover v 1: discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of; "She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water"; "We found traces of lead in the paint" [syn: detect, observe, find, discover, notice] 2: get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally; "I learned that she has two grown-up children"; "I see that you have been promoted" [syn: learn, hear, get word, get wind, pick up, find out, get a line, discover, see] 3: make a discovery, make a new finding; "Roentgen discovered X-rays"; "Physicists believe they found a new elementary particle" [syn: discover, find] 4: make a discovery; "She found that he had lied to her"; "The story is false, so far as I can discover" [syn: discover, find] 5: find unexpectedly; "the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb"; "she struck a goldmine"; "The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake" [syn: fall upon, strike, come upon, light upon, chance upon, come across, chance on, happen upon, attain, discover] 6: make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case" [syn: unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, break, give away, let out] 7: see for the first time; make a discovery; "Who discovered the North Pole?" 8: identify as in botany or biology, for example [syn: identify, discover, key, key out, distinguish, describe, name]