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discovery
[ dih-skuhv-uh-ree ]
noun
- the act or process of seeing, finding, or gaining knowledge of something previously unknown, or an instance of this:
The university is dedicated to the discovery, development, communication, and application of knowledge in a wide range of academic and professional fields.
Shortly after the discovery of the tomb, many people associated with the expedition died.
- something found, found out, noticed, or realized:
In 2009, archaeologists in Rome unearthed a startling discovery: the remains of an elaborate banquet hall built during the reign of Nero.
- Law. the compulsory exchange or disclosure of information, evidence, documents, etc., in preparation for a lawsuit or trial:
The plaintiff filed a motion to compel discovery, but the defendants argued that some of the information was exempt.
- none Discovery. U.S. Aerospace. the third space shuttle to orbit and return to earth.
discovery
/ ɪˈʌəɪ /
noun
- the act, process, or an instance of discovering
- a person, place, or thing that has been discovered
- law the compulsory disclosure by a party to an action of relevant documents in his possession
Other 51Թ Forms
- ԴDz·徱·DZ·· noun plural nondiscoveries
- ·徱·DZ·· noun plural prediscoveries
- ·徱·DZ·· noun plural rediscoveries
- -徱·DZ·· noun plural selfdiscoveries
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of discovery1
Example Sentences
I remain indebted to that friend for the discovery.
In the days after Baby Callum's discovery, tests found wads of tissue paper had been inserted into his mouth and throat, confirming it was not likely to have been an accident.
It also asked for a pause in the evidence-gathering process, known as discovery, while that request was considered.
They said subsequent discoveries had made the area one of the most extensive dinosaur track sites in Scotland.
The concert at which the image of El Mencho appeared came a few weeks after a scandal over the discovery of a former cartel training camp in the countryside about 35 miles outside Guadalajara.
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Related 51Թs
More About Discovery
What doesdiscovery mean?
A discovery is something that has been discovered—found or found out about for the first time.
Discovery can also mean the process of discovering.
Discoveries involve finding or gaining knowledge about something that was previously unknown or unseen. The word is especially associated with finding new places (as in the discovery of new lands) and scientific breakthroughs (as in the discovery of a cure).
The word discovery is also used in a much more specific way in the context of law, in which it refers to the required disclosure of things like documents to the other party during a legal proceeding, as in These invoices were produced by client during discovery.
Example: Ancient Oceanic peoples discovered new methods of seafaring that allowed their discovery and settlement of faraway islands.
Where doesdiscovery come from?
The first records of the word discovery come from the 1500s. It ultimately derives from the Late Latin 徱ǴDZī, meaning “to disclose” or “to expose.” The suffix -y is used to form abstract nouns from verbs (it’s used in the same way to form the noun recovery from the verb recover).
When a discovery is made, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the thing found had been covered or hidden. Though its use can sometimes overlap with discover, the word uncover typically means something different—“to expose” or “to reveal.” To discover a conspiracy is to find out that it exists, but to uncover it is to reveal it.
Discovery involves seeing, learning of, or encountering something for the first time. History books are filled with examples of people credited with the discovery of a new place even though it was already inhabited, or of people credited with having made some kind of scientific or technological discovery when in fact it was known about for a long time by someone else or by people in another part of the world. In cases like this, the so-called discoverer didn’t really discover the thing so much as they found it again.
Did you know ... ?
How isdiscovery used in real life?
The word discovery is especially used in the context of exploration and scientific breakthroughs.
Two teenagers in Israel found a jar full of 425 gold coins stashed in the desert more than 1,100 years ago.The discovery could help archaeologists better understand the history of the region.
— The New York Times (@nytimes)
We've discovered more than 4,200 planets beyond our solar system – exoplanets – so far. Every discovery begins with a question and a team working to answer it. This week we'll introduce you to some of the people behind our science.
— NASA Exoplanets (@NASAExoplanets)
A discovery made by a geology professor turned out to be a bigger deal than he could have imagined: what he stumbled upon were the oldest vertebrate fossil tracks ever found at Grand Canyon National Park — about 313 million years old.
— CNN (@CNN)
Try usingdiscovery!
Which of the following things could be considered a discovery?
A. a newly found species
B. a newly observed planet
C. a newly developed cure
D. all of the above
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