Dis*cov"er (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Discovered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Discovering.] [OE. discoveren, discuren, descuren, OF. descovrir, descouvrir, F. découvrir; des- (L. dis-) + couvrir to cover. See Cover.] 1. To uncover. [Obs.]

Whether any man hath pulled down or discovered any church.

2. To disclose; to lay open to view; to make visible; to reveal; to make known; to show (what has been secret, unseen, or unknown).

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

Prosperity doth best discover vice; but adversity doth best discover virtue.

We will discover ourselves unto them.

Discover not a secret to another.

3. To obtain for the first time sight or knowledge of, as of a thing existing already, but not perceived or known; to find; to ascertain; to espy; to detect.

Some to discover islands far away.

4. To manifest without design; to show.

The youth discovered a taste for sculpture.

5. To explore; to examine. [Obs.]

Syn. -- To disclose; bring out; exhibit; show; manifest; reveal; communicate; impart; tell; espy; find; out; detect. -- To Discover, Invent. We discover what existed before, but remained unknown; we invent by forming combinations which are either entirely new, or which attain their end by means unknown before. Columbus discovered America; Newton discovered the law of gravitation; Whitney invented the cotton gin; Galileo invented the telescope.

Dis*cov"er, v. i. To discover or show one's self. [Obs.]

This done, they discover.

Nor was this the first time that they discovered to be followers of this world.

• (somewhat dated) To expose something previously covered.
        The gust of wind discovered a bone in the sand.
  
• To find something for the first time.
        Turning the corner, I discovered a lovely little shop.
  
• (chess) To create by moving a piece out of another piece's line of attack.
        This move discovers an attack on a vital pawn.