Standard Lemma guide

discover

name · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /dɪˈskʌvə/
  • Northern-England: /dɪˈskʊvə/
  • Canada, General-American: /dɪˈskʌvɚ/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /dɪˈskavə/
  • rhymes with -ʌvə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S K AH1 V ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

Discover Card, a brand of credit card.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

Discover magazine, a general audience science magazine launched in 1980.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To find or learn something for the first time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Turning the corner, I discovered a lovely little shop. I discovered that they sold widgets.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To remove the cover from; to uncover (a head, building etc.).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To expose, uncover.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

Examples

  • The gust of wind discovered a bone in the sand.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To create by moving a piece out of another piece's line of attack.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: board-games, chess, games

Examples

  • This move discovers an attack on a vital pawn.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To question (a person) as part of discovery in a lawsuit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To reveal (information); to divulge, make known.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

Examples

  • I discovered my plans to the rest of the team.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To reconnoitre, explore (an area).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To manifest without design; to show; to exhibit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I learned that she has two grown-up children
  • I see that you have been promoted

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: learn, hear, get word, get wind, pick up, find out, get a line, see

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: get the goods, wise up, trip up, catch, ascertain, discover, find

12

verb

Meaning 12

identify as in botany or biology, for example

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: identify, key, key out, distinguish, describe, name

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

make a discovery

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She found that he had lied to her
  • The story is false, so far as I can discover

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: find

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: learn, hear, get word, get wind, pick up, find out, get a line, discover, see

Narrower terms: rake up, ferret out, ferret

14

verb

Meaning 14

make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • 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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, expose, divulge, break, give away, let out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tell

Narrower terms: blackwash, muckrake, blow, out, come out of the closet, come out, spring, betray, bewray, confide, leak, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, talk, tattle, blab, peach, babble, sing, babble out, blab out, reveal

15

verb

Meaning 15

make a discovery, make a new finding

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Roentgen discovered X-rays
  • Physicists believe they found a new elementary particle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: find

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gestate, conceive, conceptualize, conceptualise

16

verb

Meaning 16

see for the first time; make a discovery

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Who discovered the North Pole?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: rediscover

17

verb

Meaning 17

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water
  • We found traces of lead in the paint

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: detect, observe, find, notice

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spy, sight

Narrower terms: find out, catch out, sense, instantiate, trace, see

18

verb

Meaning 18

find unexpectedly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb
  • she struck a goldmine
  • The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fall upon, strike, come upon, light upon, chance upon, come across, chance on, happen upon, attain

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: find, regain

History

Etymology

Trade name, from discover; introduced by Sears in 1985.

From Middle English discoveren, from Old French descovrir, from Late Latin discoperīre < discooperiō, discooperīre, from Latin dis- + cooperiō. Displaced native Old English onfindan.

Across languages

Translations

256 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: zbuloj — find something for the first time
  • Southern Altai: ачар (ačar) — find something for the first time
  • Arabic: اِكْتَشَفَ (iktašafa) — find something for the first time
  • Arabic: اكتشف (iktašaf) — find something for the first time
  • Arabic: اكتشف (aktašaf, iktašaf) — find something for the first time
  • Arabic: اَكتشف (ektášaf) — find something for the first time
  • Armenian: հայտնաբերել (haytnaberel) — find something for the first time
  • Aromanian: discoapir — find something for the first time
  • Asturian: descubrir — find something for the first time
  • Azerbaijani: kəşf etmək — find something for the first time
  • Belarusian: адкрыва́ць (adkryvácʹ) — find something for the first time
  • Belarusian: адкры́ць (adkrýcʹ) — find something for the first time
  • Belarusian: выяўля́ць (vyjawljácʹ) — find something for the first time
  • Belarusian: вы́явіць (výjavicʹ) — find something for the first time
  • Breton: dizoloiñ — find something for the first time
  • Bulgarian: откри́вам (otkrívam) — find something for the first time
  • Bulgarian: откри́я (otkríja) — find something for the first time
  • Catalan: descobrir — find something for the first time
  • Chinese Cantonese: 發現 /发现 (faat3 jin6) — find something for the first time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 發現 /发现 (fāxiàn) — find something for the first time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 發覺 /发觉 (fājué) — find something for the first time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 查出 (cháchū) — find something for the first time
  • Cornish: trovya — find something for the first time
  • Czech: objevovat — find something for the first time
  • Czech: objevit — find something for the first time
  • Danish: opdage — find something for the first time
  • Dutch: ontdekken — find something for the first time
  • Esperanto: trovi — find something for the first time
  • Esperanto: malkovri — find something for the first time
  • Estonian: avastama — find something for the first time
  • Estonian: tuvastama — find something for the first time
  • Finnish: löytää — find something for the first time
  • French: découvrir — find something for the first time
  • Friulian: scuvierzi — find something for the first time
  • Friulian: discuverzi — find something for the first time
  • Galician: descubrir — find something for the first time
  • Galician: descobrir — find something for the first time
  • Georgian: მიგნება (migneba) — find something for the first time
  • Georgian: აღმოჩენა (aɣmočena) — find something for the first time
  • German: entdecken — find something for the first time
  • Greek: ανακαλύπτω (anakalýpto) — find something for the first time
  • Ancient Greek: ἐξευρίσκω (exeurískō) — find something for the first time
  • Hebrew: גִּלָּה (gilá) — find something for the first time
  • Hindi: खोज निकालना (khoj nikālnā) — find something for the first time
  • Hindi: खोज करना (khoj karnā) — find something for the first time
  • Hungarian: felfedez — find something for the first time
  • Icelandic: uppgötva — find something for the first time
  • Ido: trovar — find something for the first time
  • Ido: deskovrar — find something for the first time
  • Interlingua: discoperir — find something for the first time
  • Italian: scoprire — find something for the first time
  • Italian: trovare — find something for the first time
  • Italian: discoprire — find something for the first time
  • Japanese: 発見する (hakken suru) — find something for the first time
  • Japanese: 見つける (mitsukeru) — find something for the first time
  • Kabuverdianu: atxa — find something for the first time
  • Kabuverdianu: otxá — find something for the first time
  • Kazakh: ашу (aşu) — find something for the first time
  • Kazakh: табу (tabu) — find something for the first time
  • Khmer: សង្កេតឃើញ (sɑɑsɑngkeet khəəñ) — find something for the first time
  • Kyrgyz: ачуу (acuu) — find something for the first time
  • Ladino: deskuvrir — find something for the first time
  • Lao: ຄົ້ນພົບ (khon phop) — find something for the first time
  • Latin: comperiō — find something for the first time
  • Latin: dētegō — find something for the first time
  • Latin: inveniō — find something for the first time
  • Latin: dispiciō — find something for the first time
  • Latin: dispectō — find something for the first time
  • Latvian: atklāt — find something for the first time
  • Latvian: uzzināt — find something for the first time
  • Lithuanian: atrasti — find something for the first time
  • Lithuanian: sužinoti — find something for the first time
  • Macedonian: пронаоѓа (pronaoǵa) — find something for the first time
  • Macedonian: пронајде (pronajde) — find something for the first time
  • Macedonian: открива (otkriva) — find something for the first time
  • Macedonian: открие (otkrie) — find something for the first time
  • Malay: menemui — find something for the first time
  • Māori: kite — find something for the first time
  • Norman: dêcouvri — find something for the first time
  • Norwegian Bokmål: oppdage — find something for the first time
  • Occitan: descobrir — find something for the first time
  • Occitan: descubrir — find something for the first time
  • Old English: onfindan — find something for the first time
  • Persian: کشف کردن (kašf kardan) — find something for the first time
  • Persian: یافتن (yâftan) — find something for the first time
  • Polish: odkrywać — find something for the first time
  • Polish: odkryć — find something for the first time
  • Portuguese: descobrir — find something for the first time
  • Romanian: descoperi — find something for the first time
  • Romansh: scuvrir — find something for the first time
  • Russian: открыва́ть (otkryvátʹ) — find something for the first time
  • Russian: откры́ть (otkrýtʹ) — find something for the first time
  • Russian: обнару́живать (obnarúživatʹ) — find something for the first time
  • Russian: обнару́жить (obnarúžitʹ) — find something for the first time
  • Scots: diskiver — find something for the first time
  • Scottish Gaelic: faigh a-mach — find something for the first time
  • Serbo-Croatian: прона̀лазити — find something for the first time
  • Serbo-Croatian: про̀на̄ћи — find something for the first time
  • Serbo-Croatian: откри́вати — find something for the first time
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̀ткрити — find something for the first time
  • Serbo-Croatian: pronàlaziti — find something for the first time
  • Serbo-Croatian: prònāći — find something for the first time
  • Serbo-Croatian: otkrívati — find something for the first time
  • Serbo-Croatian: òtkriti — find something for the first time
  • Sicilian: scupriri — find something for the first time
  • Sicilian: addunàrisi di — find something for the first time
  • Slovak: objavovať — find something for the first time
  • Slovak: objaviť — find something for the first time
  • Slovene: odkrivati — find something for the first time
  • Slovene: odkriti — find something for the first time
  • Spanish: descubrir — find something for the first time
  • Swedish: upptäcka — find something for the first time
  • Tajik: кашф кардан (kašf kardan) — find something for the first time
  • Tajik: ёфтан (yoftan) — find something for the first time
  • Thai: ค้นพบ (kón-póp) — find something for the first time
  • Turkish: keşfetmek — find something for the first time
  • Ottoman Turkish: كشف ایتمك (keşf etmek) — find something for the first time
  • Turkmen: açyş etmek — find something for the first time
  • Ukrainian: відкрива́ти (vidkryváty) — find something for the first time
  • Ukrainian: відкри́ти (vidkrýty) — find something for the first time
  • Ukrainian: виявля́ти (vyjavljáty) — find something for the first time
  • Ukrainian: ви́явити (výjavyty) — find something for the first time
  • Urdu: دَرِیافْت کَرْنا (dariyāft karnā) — find something for the first time
  • Uzbek: kashf qilmoq — find something for the first time
  • Uzbek: kashf etmoq — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: scovèrzar — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: scovèrzer — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: scovèrxar — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: scovèrxer — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: descovèrzar — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: descovèrxar — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: descoèrxar — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: descoèrxer — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: descovrir — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: scoprir — find something for the first time
  • Venetan: scuajar — find something for the first time
  • Vietnamese: phát hiện — find something for the first time
  • Vietnamese: phát kiến — find something for the first time
  • Zazaki: keşf kerden — find something for the first time
  • Zazaki: keşıfnayen — find something for the first time
  • Albanian: zbuloj — expose something previously covered
  • Arabic: اِكْتَشَفَ (iktašafa) — expose something previously covered
  • Arabic: اكتشف (aktašaf) — expose something previously covered
  • Armenian: բացահայտել (bacʻahaytel) — expose something previously covered
  • Aromanian: discoapir — expose something previously covered
  • Asturian: descubrir — expose something previously covered
  • Belarusian: адкрыва́ць (adkryvácʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Belarusian: адкры́ць (adkrýcʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Belarusian: выяўля́ць (vyjawljácʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Belarusian: вы́явіць (výjavicʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Belarusian: раскрыва́ць (raskryvácʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Belarusian: раскры́ць (raskrýcʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Bulgarian: нами́рам (namíram) — expose something previously covered
  • Bulgarian: наме́ря (namérja) — expose something previously covered
  • Bulgarian: откри́вам (otkrívam) — expose something previously covered
  • Bulgarian: откри́я (otkríja) — expose something previously covered
  • Bulgarian: разкри́вам (razkrívam) — expose something previously covered
  • Bulgarian: разкри́я (razkríja) — expose something previously covered
  • Catalan: descobrir — expose something previously covered
  • Chinese Mandarin: 暴露 (bàolù) — expose something previously covered
  • Cornish: trovya — expose something previously covered
  • Czech: objevovat — expose something previously covered
  • Czech: objevit — expose something previously covered
  • Czech: odkrývat — expose something previously covered
  • Czech: odkrýt — expose something previously covered
  • Dutch: blootleggen — expose something previously covered
  • Dutch: onthullen — expose something previously covered
  • Egyptian: gm-m (gmj) — expose something previously covered
  • Esperanto: malkovri — expose something previously covered
  • Finnish: paljastaa — expose something previously covered
  • French: découvrir — expose something previously covered
  • French: dévoiler — expose something previously covered
  • Friulian: discuvierzi — expose something previously covered
  • Friulian: discuviergi — expose something previously covered
  • Galician: descubrir — expose something previously covered
  • Galician: descobrir — expose something previously covered
  • Georgian: მიგნება (migneba) — expose something previously covered
  • Georgian: აღმოჩენა (aɣmočena) — expose something previously covered
  • German: erleben — expose something previously covered
  • German: erfahren — expose something previously covered
  • German: dabei sein — expose something previously covered
  • Gothic: 𐌿𐍆𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (ufkunnan) — expose something previously covered
  • Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐌲𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (bigitan) — expose something previously covered
  • Greek: αποκαλύπτω (apokalýpto) — expose something previously covered
  • Ancient Greek: ἐξευρίσκω (exeurískō) — expose something previously covered
  • Hungarian: felfed — expose something previously covered
  • Hungarian: feltár — expose something previously covered
  • Hungarian: elárul — expose something previously covered
  • Hungarian: elmond — expose something previously covered
  • Hungarian: leleplez — expose something previously covered
  • Icelandic: uppgötva — expose something previously covered
  • Ido: deskovrar — expose something previously covered
  • Italian: scoprire — expose something previously covered
  • Italian: discoprire — expose something previously covered
  • Kabuverdianu: atxa — expose something previously covered
  • Khmer: សង្កេតឃើញ (sɑɑsɑngkeet khəəñ) — expose something previously covered
  • Korean: 발견하다 (balgyeonhada) — expose something previously covered
  • Korean: 찾아내다 (chajanaeda) — expose something previously covered
  • Ladino: deskuvrir — expose something previously covered
  • Latin: dispiciō — expose something previously covered
  • Latin: dispectō — expose something previously covered
  • Latin: reperiō — expose something previously covered
  • Macedonian: открива (otkriva) — expose something previously covered
  • Macedonian: открие (otkrie) — expose something previously covered
  • Māori: tūhura — expose something previously covered
  • Māori: kite — expose something previously covered
  • Māori: whakatōmene — expose something previously covered
  • Khiamniungan Naga: thōhchūh — expose something previously covered
  • Occitan: descobrir — expose something previously covered
  • Occitan: descubrir — expose something previously covered
  • Old English: onfindan — expose something previously covered
  • Persian: آشکار کردن (âškâr kardan) — expose something previously covered
  • Polish: odkrywać — expose something previously covered
  • Polish: odkryć — expose something previously covered
  • Portuguese: descobrir — expose something previously covered
  • Romanian: descoperi — expose something previously covered
  • Russian: раскрыва́ть (raskryvátʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Russian: раскры́ть (raskrýtʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Russian: обнару́живать (obnarúživatʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Russian: обнару́жить (obnarúžitʹ) — expose something previously covered
  • Scottish Gaelic: rùisg — expose something previously covered
  • Serbo-Croatian: прона̀лазити — expose something previously covered
  • Serbo-Croatian: про̀на̄ћи — expose something previously covered
  • Serbo-Croatian: откри́вати — expose something previously covered
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̀ткрити — expose something previously covered
  • Serbo-Croatian: pronàlaziti — expose something previously covered
  • Serbo-Croatian: prònāći — expose something previously covered
  • Serbo-Croatian: otkrívati — expose something previously covered
  • Serbo-Croatian: òtkriti — expose something previously covered
  • Slovak: odkrývať — expose something previously covered
  • Slovak: odkryť — expose something previously covered
  • Slovene: odkrivati — expose something previously covered
  • Slovene: odkriti — expose something previously covered
  • Spanish: descubrir — expose something previously covered
  • Spanish: destapar — expose something previously covered
  • Swedish: avslöja — expose something previously covered
  • Swedish: upptäcka — expose something previously covered
  • Tagalog: tuklas — expose something previously covered
  • Tagalog: tukyan — expose something previously covered
  • Tajik: ошкор кардан (oškor kardan) — expose something previously covered
  • Ukrainian: відкрива́ти (vidkryváty) — expose something previously covered
  • Ukrainian: відкри́ти (vidkrýty) — expose something previously covered
  • Ukrainian: виявля́ти (vyjavljáty) — expose something previously covered
  • Ukrainian: ви́явити (výjavyty) — expose something previously covered
  • Ukrainian: знахо́дити (znaxódyty) — expose something previously covered
  • Ukrainian: знайти́ (znajtý) — expose something previously covered
  • Ukrainian: розкрива́ти (rozkryváty) — expose something previously covered
  • Ukrainian: розкри́ти (rozkrýty) — expose something previously covered
  • Venetan: descovèrzar — expose something previously covered
  • Venetan: descovèrxar — expose something previously covered
  • Venetan: descoèrxar — expose something previously covered
  • Venetan: descoèrxer — expose something previously covered
  • Venetan: descovrir — expose something previously covered
  • Vietnamese: khám phá — expose something previously covered
  • Welsh: darganfod — expose something previously covered
  • Zazaki: eskera kerden — expose something previously covered
Real reading context

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