v.

1. discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of;
   detect, observe, find, notice
   
   • She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water
   • We found traces of lead in the paint
2. make a discovery, make a new finding;
   find
   
   • Roentgen discovered X-rays
   • Physicists believe they found a new elementary particle
3. get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally;
   learn, hear, get word, get wind, pick up, find out, get a line, see
   
   • I learned that she has two grown-up children
   • I see that you have been promoted
4. make a discovery;
   find
   
   • She found that he had lied to her
   • The story is false, so far as I can discover
5. find unexpectedly;
   fall upon, strike, come upon, light upon, chance upon, come across, chance on, happen upon, attain
   
   • the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb
   • she struck a goldmine
   • The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake
6. make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret;
   unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, expose, divulge, impart, break, give away, let out
   
   • The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold
   • The actress won't reveal how old she is
   • bring out the truth
   • he broke the news to her
   • unwrap the evidence in the murder case
7. see for the first time; make a discovery
   
   • Who discovered the North Pole?
8. identify as in botany or biology, for example;
   identify, key, key out, distinguish, describe, name