discover

/di-ˈskə-vər/

Middle English, from Anglo-French descoverir, descovrir, from Late Latin discooperire, from Latin dis- + cooperire to cover

verb

  1. to make known or visible : expose

  2. display

  3. to obtain sight or knowledge of for the first time : find

discovering himself … as her adoring and magnanimous lover

discover ascertain determine unearth learn mean to find out what one did not previously know. discover may apply to something requiring exploration or investigation or to a chance encounter. ascertain implies effort to find the facts or the truth proceeding from awareness of ignorance or uncertainty.

verb

  1. to discover (something) with one or more others : to be one of the discoverers of (something)

… James D. Watson, the scientist who co-discovered the double-helical structure of DNA …