discoverer

From Middle English discoverour, dyscowerer, partly from Middle French descouvreur and partly equivalent to discover +‎ -er.[1]

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discoverer (plural discoverers)

1. One who discovers: a person who has discovered something.
   • 1577, Conradus Heresbachius [i.e., Konrad Heresbach], translated by Barnabe Googe, “The fourth Booke, entreatyng of Poultry, Foule, Fishe, and Bees”, in Foure Bookes of Husbandry, […], London: […] Richard Watkins, folio 175, verso:

     [W]hen the flowꝛes there haue been ſufficiently wꝛought, they [bees] ſend abꝛoade their diſcouerers to finde out moꝛe foode.

   • 1799, Robert John Thornton, chapter XXIII, in The Philosophy of Medicine: Or, Medical Extracts on the Nature of Health and Disease, Including the Laws of the Animal Œconomy, and the Doctrines of Pneumatic Medicine, 4th edition, volume 1, page 450:

     The ſpecies of elaſtic fluid, which its great diſcoverer, Dr. Prieſtley, denominated the dephlogiſticated nitrous air, and others have ſince called gazeous oxyd of azot, is in general not unknown to chemiſts, though they are unacquainted with its compoſition, its moſt extraordinary effects, and probably with its perfect preparation.

   • 1898, Charles A. Bramble, “Prospecting”, in The A B C of Mining[:] A Handbook for Prospectors […] , Chicago, New York: Rand, McNally & Company, page 7:

     [M]any of the most successful discoverers of metallic wealth have been entirely ignorant of the methods by which a great mine should be opened, developed, and worked.

   • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, →OCLC, page 30:

     But this was subterfuge to defeat the curiosity of a chance discoverer.

• finder
• repertor (obsolete)

• Discoverers' Day

• rediscover, redivorces