discover
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,893 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 9,456 times across 155,370 chapters — 0.004% of every word in the library.
What it means
verb
- discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of also: detect, observe, find, notice She detected high levels of lead in her drinking waterWe found traces of lead in the paint
- get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally also: learn, hear, get word, get wind, pick up, find out I learned that she has two grown-up childrenI see that you have been promoted
- make a discovery, make a new finding also: find Roentgen discovered X-raysPhysicists believe they found a new elementary particle
- make a discovery also: find She found that he had lied to herThe story is false, so far as I can discover
- find unexpectedly also: fall upon, strike, come upon, light upon, chance upon, come across the archeologists chanced upon an old tombshe struck a goldmine
- make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret also: unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, expose The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had soldThe actress won't reveal how old she is
discover in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
-
Nothing that any finite mind could discover.
The Innocents Abroad — Volume 01 · Mark Twain · Chapter 1
-
They suspected some secret, but though they spied and spied, they could not discover it.
The Yellow Fairy Book: The Grateful Beasts · World Traditions (Celtic, Norse, Asian & Persian) · Chapter 1
-
And then she blushed slightly lest he should discover a personal application in the last-named, or even in the last two.
Pearl of Pearl Island · John Oxenham · Chapter 1
-
But he wasn't overmuch surprised to find Teddy Pegram didn't answer the door, nor yet to discover the place was all unlocked.
The Torch and Other Tales · Eden Phillpotts · Chapter 1
-
Like the rest he strove to discover the ideal profession which makes a man rich, and amuses him at the same time.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1