# discovery

Pronunciation: say "dis-KUV-uh-ree" /dɪsˈkʌ.və.ɹi/

## Noun

1. A thing that has been found, learned, or uncovered, especially for the first time.
   - Simple: A thing that someone finds or learns for the first time.
   - _The discovery of penicillin transformed modern medicine._
   - _Among the ruins, the team's most surprising discovery was an everyday cooking pot._
2. The act or process of finding out about new things.
   - Simple: The act of finding or learning about new things.
   - _The thrill of discovery drives many scientists throughout their careers._
   - _Modern medicine advances through constant discovery and careful testing._
3. The pre-trial phase of a lawsuit during which each side gathers evidence from the other.
   - Simple: The stage before a trial when both sides gather and share evidence.
   - _The case stalled in discovery as both firms exchanged thousands of emails._
   - _Her attorney requested several key documents during discovery._
4. The documents and evidence that each party turns over to the opposing side during the pre-trial evidence-gathering phase.
   - Simple: The evidence and documents that one side must share with the other before a trial.
   - _The defense combed through the discovery looking for inconsistencies._
   - _A crucial witness statement surfaced in the discovery the plaintiff had produced._
5. A move in which a piece steps aside to unleash an attack from another piece lined up behind it.
   - Simple: A chess move where one piece steps aside, letting another piece behind it attack.
   - _A well-timed discovery forced the opponent to abandon his own attack._
   - _He set up a discovery that would win the rook two moves later._

## Noun

6. An act of uncovering or revealing something hidden, amounting to a revelation. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: The act of showing or making known something that was hidden.
   - _The discovery of his true parentage altered the course of the play._
   - _Her diary's discovery brought a startling revelation to the family._

## Origin

Formed from "discover" plus the suffix "-ery", on the pattern of the pair "recover" and "recovery". It displaced the native Old English word "onfundennes".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/discovery (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).