Uncover and Discover Are Almost the Same Word
To uncover is to remove a covering, or to reveal something hidden. Discover is built the same way and once meant exactly that.
To uncover is to remove what covers something, or to reveal what was concealed. *Discover* is built on the same idea from French — dis-cover, to remove a covering — and originally meant to reveal rather than to find out. The senses drifted apart, but the construction is identical.
- To remove a covering. *Uncover the dish.*
- To reveal something hidden. *The audit uncovered errors.*
- To expose wrongdoing. *Reporters uncovered the scheme.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | uncover | Uncover the truth. |
| Past | uncovered | Uncovered by accident. |
| Related | discover | Discover a fault. |
| Related | cover-up | A cover-up. |
| Related | reveal | A dramatic reveal. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The dig uncovered a Roman floor.Archaeology.
- The inquiry uncovered systematic failings.Investigation.
- Uncover the pan for the last ten minutes.Cooking.
Revealing words
- Uncover — remove what conceals
- Discover — find out, originally reveal
- Expose — reveal, usually something discreditable
- Unearth — dig up, literally or figuratively
- Cover-up — the concealment that makes the story bigger
A compound of *un-* and *cover*, from Old French *covrir*, from Latin *cooperire*, to cover completely. *Discover* came separately through French with the same structure.
Uncover or discover?
Uncovering removes something concealing. Discovering means finding out, whether or not anything was hidden deliberately.
Did *discover* once mean reveal?
Yes. In older English you could discover a secret to someone, meaning disclose it. The sense of finding out came later.