discover

[[t]dɪskʌ̱və(r)[/t]]

♦♦

discovers, discovering, discovered

1) VERB If you discover something that you did not know about before, you become aware of it or learn of it.

[V that] She discovered that they'd escaped...

[V that] I discovered I was pregnant...

[V that] As he discovered, she had a brilliant mind...

[V wh] It was difficult for the inspectors to discover which documents were important and which were not...

[V n] Haskell did not live to discover the deception...

[it be V-ed that] It was discovered that the tapes were missing. [Also be V-ed to-inf]

Syn:

find out about

2) VERB If a person or thing is discovered, someone finds them, either by accident or because they have been looking for them.

[be V-ed] A few days later his badly beaten body was discovered on a roadside outside the city. [Also V n]

Syn:

find

3) VERB 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.

[V n] ...the first European to discover America...

[V n] In the 19th century, gold was discovered in California...

[V wh] They discovered how to form the image in a thin layer on the surface. [Also V that]

Derived words:

discoverer plural N-COUNT oft N of n

...the myth of Columbus as the heroic discoverer of the Americas 500 years ago.

4) VERB 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.

[V n] I wish I'd discovered photography when I was younger...

[V n] Discover the delights and luxury of a private yacht.

5) VERB: usu passive 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.

[be V-ed] The Beatles were discovered in the early 1960's.