Webster Essential Vocabulary

discovery(dis KUH vir ee) n.1. finding out about, seeing, or knowing about
first; 2. making famous; bringing to the public’s attention; 3. pretrial procedures for
compelling the disclosure of certain facts

• Jonas Salk’s discoveryof a vaccine against polio put an end to the most
  feared infectious disease of the twentieth century.


• The discoveryof Lana Turner in Schwab’s drug store in Los Angeles is the
  stuff of which fairy tales are made.


• All the evidence the prosecution has must be revealed to the defense dur-
  ing the discoveryprocess.
  [discoveries pl.] [Syn. learning]
  discredit*(dis KRED it) vt.1. to reject as not true; to disbelieve; 2. to be a cause
  for disbelief or distrust; to cast doubt on; 3. to damage the reputation or credibility
  of; disgrace


• The authorities discreditedMarsha’s story about how she was abducted by
  little green creatures in a flying saucer.


• The fact that he had been caught lying in three previous incidents discredited
  any further testimony he would give.


• The story of how he had turned and run in a previous emergency discredited
  his standing as a local hero.
  [-ed, -ing]

Quick Review #27.

Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.

D: SAT Words 83

1. determine


2. detract


3. development


4. diagnosis


5. digression


6. dingy


7. discern


8. discordant


9. discount


10. discourse


11. discovery


12. discredit

a. reduction

b. learning

c. grimy

d. dissonant

e. doubt

f. lecture

g. disparage

h. straying

i. analysis

j. decide

k. distinguish

l. expansion