discover - 1) a: to make known or visable b: display 2) to obtain sight or knowledge of for the first time; find, to make a discovery.
syn ~ ascertain, determine, unearth, learn: discover presupposes exploration, investigation, or chance encounter and always implies the previous existene of what becomes known; ascertain implies effort to find the facts or the truth proceeding from awareness of ignorance or uncertainty; determine emphaszies the intent to establish the facts definitely or precisely; unearth implies bringing to light something forgotten or hidden; learn may imply acquring knowledge with little effort or conscious intention (as simply being told); it may imply study and practice, but usually does not stress active search.
The word discover goes back to Latin dis- and cooperire, meaning 'to remove the covering; completely uncover.' By 1553, it was used to mean 'seeing or gaining knowledge of something previously unknown' and 'finding out; bringing to light.' You discover ('uncover') something that is already there, something that has existed but is generally unknown - but you invent something that has never existed before.