discovery
/dɪˈskʌvəri/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈskʌvəri/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈskə-v(ə-)rē/ (ame, mw)
discovery — noun
- discoverysingular
- discoveriesplural
1. the act of finding something new or unknown; also, the thing or person you find
the act of finding something new or unknown; also, the thing or person you find in this way
The discovery of penicillin changed the history of medicine forever.
discovery + of [important thing]
Eve made an exciting discovery in her grandmother's attic last weekend.
The young scientist's discovery helped doctors understand how the brain stores long-term memories.
Omar's recent discovery of a rare plant in the forest amazed the entire research team.
- finding
more general, can refer to anything found; less dramatic than discovery
- breakthrough
a major, usually scientific discovery that leads to new knowledge (B2)
- revelation
focuses on information being made known, often something surprising or secret
- uncovering
suggests something was hidden or buried and is now brought to light
- loss
when something known or possessed is no longer available
文法句型
discovery + of + noun
discovery + that-clause
make + a + discovery
possessive + discovery
用法筆記
Countable when naming the thing found (a discovery, two discoveries); uncountable when describing the process (the discovery of fire). Often paired with the verb make.
常見錯誤
2. in a court case, the stage before the trial during which each side must share do
in a court case, the stage before the trial during which each side must share documents and information with the other side
The judge ordered both sides to complete the discovery process within thirty days.
discovery process — fixed legal phrase for pre-trial exchange
During discovery, Isabela's legal team received thousands of pages from the other side.
The lawyers discussed the discovery requests at a meeting before the trial began.
The discovery phase lasted about six months because of the large number of documents.
- disclosure
the British English term for the same legal process; also used in American legal contexts
文法句型
discovery + process
discovery + request
during + discovery
complete + discovery
用法筆記
Typically uncountable. Applies in both civil and criminal litigation in the American legal system. In Britain, similar procedures are called disclosure.