Discovered

Discovered is the past tense and past participle of the verb discover. It denotes the act of finding something that was hidden, secret, or previously unknown, or of becoming aware of a fact or truth. As a past participle, it forms perfect tenses (has discovered) and the passive voice (was discovered). It also functions as an adjective in phrases such as a discovered manuscript, indicating that the manuscript has been uncovered or made known.

Etymology: The word originates in Middle English from Old French descouvrir, from des- (un-) + couvrir "to cover," itself from Latin operire "to cover." The sense evolved to include uncovering or revealing what was hidden, and by the late medieval period it also meant recognizing or realizing information.

Usage: In modern English, discovered is widely used in scientific, historical, journalistic, and everyday contexts. It commonly takes a direct object: "They discovered a new planet," or with passive voice: "A new planet was discovered." The phrase discover contrasts with synonyms like find, detect, uncover, reveal, each with subtle nuance. The related noun discovery refers to the act or instance of finding something for the first time.