to find something that already exists but no one knew about or had seen before
Astronomers discovered a tiny moon orbiting the distant planet.
While hiking, the children discovered a hidden waterfall in the forest.
✦ Middle English: from Old French descovrir, based on Latin discooperire ‘uncover’.
to learn or realize something new about a fact, situation, or person
I just discovered that the café closes at four o’clock.
She discovered how easy cooking can be after taking a short class.
✦ Same origin as Sense 1: ultimately from Latin discooperire ‘uncover’.
to catch or find someone or something that was hidden or doing something wrong
The security guard discovered a burglar hiding behind the shelves.
Inspectors discovered several safety violations at the factory.
✦ Extension of the basic sense “uncover” to people or wrongdoing, recorded since the 16th century.
