DISCOVER, verb transitive [See Cover.]

1. Literally, to uncover; to remove a covering. Isaiah 22:8.

2. To lay open to the view; to disclose; to show; to make visible; to expose to view something before unseen or concealed.

Go, draw aside the curtains and discover the several caskets to this noble prince.

He discovereth deep things out of darkness. Job 12:22.

Law can discover sin, but not remove.

3. To reveal; to make known.

We will discover ourselves to them. 1 Samuel 14:8.

DISCOVER not a secret to another. Proverbs 25:9.

4. To espy; to have the first sight of; as, a man at mast-head discovered land.

When we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand. Acts 21:3.

5. To find out; to obtain the first knowledge of; to come to the knowledge of something sought or before unknown. Columbus discovered the variation of the magnetic needle. We often discover our mistakes, when too late to prevent their evil effects.

6. To detect; as, we discovered the artifice; the thief, finding himself discovered, attempted to escape.

DISCOVER differs from invent. We discover what before existed, though to us unknown; we invent what did not before exist.