discoverynoun
uk/dɪˈskʌv.ər.i/us/dɪˈskʌv.ɚ.i/discovery noun (FINDING)
B2 [ C or U ] the process of finding information, a place, or an object, especially for the first time, or the thing that is found:
the discovery of electricity
Leonardo made many scientific discoveries.
a journey/voyage of discovery
The discovery of a body in the undergrowth started a murder enquiry.
More examples
- Scientists are on the brink of a major new discovery.
- The discovery of oil brought many benefits to the town.
- Various ecological issues have come to the fore since the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer.
- The two scientists both made the same discovery independently, at roughly the same time.
- Word of the discovery caused a stir among astronomers.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Finding and discovering
- a fishing expedition idiom
- alight
- ascertain
- break fresh/new ground idiom
- breakthrough
- catch sb red-handed idiom
- flush
- get wind of sth idiom
- happen
- happen on/upon sth/sb
- have a (good) nose for sth idiom
- have got something there idiom
- root sth/sb out
- run sb/sth to ground idiom
- scent
- search
- search sth/sb out
- smell
- sniff sth out
- stumble
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discovery noun (IN LAW)
specialized law part of a legal process in which the lawyers from one side in a case give documents relating to their case to the other side, before the trial begins:
Among the thousands of documents Litt was able to obtain in discovery from the city was a memo written by a councilman's aide in response to one resident's complaint.