noun
discovery
dih-SKUHV-ree
noun
1
The act of finding something previously unknown, or the thing found.
"The discovery of penicillin changed modern medicine."
"Their trip to Japan was full of small discoveries."
2
The legal process in which parties to a lawsuit exchange evidence before trial.
"The documents were handed over during the discovery phase of the trial."
How to Use Discovery
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFinding something new — an idea, a place, a fact — or, in law, the pre-trial exchange of evidence.
Common pairings
scientific discovery
chance discovery
discovery phase
Word Forms
discoveries plural
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The _____ of penicillin changed modern medicine.
Etymology
Formed from discover plus -ery, following the pattern of "recover"/"recovery."