find Hear it!

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find definition

find (fīnd)

transitive verb found, finding find′·ing

  1. to happen on; come upon; meet with; discover by chance
  2. to get by searching or by making an effort find the answer
  3. to get sight or knowledge of; perceive; learn I find that I was wrong
  4. to experience or feel to find pleasure in music
    1. to get or recover (something lost) to find a missing book
    2. to get or recover the use of we found our sea legs
  6. to realize as being; consider; think to find a book boring
  7. to get to; reach; attain the blow found his chin
  8. to declare after careful thought the jury found him innocent
  9. to supply; furnish

Etymology: ME finden < OE findan, akin to Ger finden, Goth finthan < IE base *pent-, to walk, happen upon, find > L pons, a plank causeway, bridge

intransitive verb

to reach and announce a decision the jury found for the accused

noun

  1. the act of finding
  2. something found, esp. something interesting or valuable
find Idioms

find oneself

  1. to learn what one's real talents and inclinations are, and begin to apply them
  2. to become aware of being to find oneself in trouble

find out

  1. to discover; learn
  2. to learn the true character or identity of (someone or something)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms find idiom

find Synonyms

find

n.

fortunate discovery, acquisition, bonanza, windfall; see catch 1, discovery 2.


find

v.

  1. To happen upon

    discover, come upon, happen on, spot, descry, espy, detect, notice, observe, perceive, discern, hit upon, chance on, chance upon, encounter, uncover, locate, recover, expose, come across, run across, meet with, stumble on, run into, light upon, strike upon, catch sight of, bring to light, dig up*, turn up*, scare up*, smell out*, make out*, trip up on*, trip over*, meet up with*, lay one's finger on*, lay one's hand on*, bump into*; see also see 1.

    Antonyms lose*, mislay*, miss. *

  2. To achieve

    attain, win, get, gain; see obtain 1.

  3. To discover by search or effort

    ascertain, unearth, locate, track down*; see discover.

  4. To reach a legal decision

    pronounce, determine, affirm; see decide.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

find Usage Examples

Object

  • way: I couldn't find a way to successfully halve the recipe.

Noun phrase with adjective complement

  • useful: The aim is for 75 % of attendees to find the training useful.

Adjective modifier

  • archeological: Archeological finds revealed one of the earliest type of flute unearthed from a tomb in Hubei province.

Adjective complement

  • useful: AI Links: Here are some links I find most useful.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • out: Try to find out what's really going on.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • out: Find out more about the ICT Mark for schools.

Used with why or when

  • what: The point is flexibility - find what suits the individual child.
find usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

find quotes

   Knowledge is oftwo kinds.We knowa subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.

-Johnson, Samuel known as Dr Johnson

Er l a« chelte und sagte: 'Von mir willst du denWeg erfahren?' 'Ja,'sagte ich,'da ich ihn selbst nich finden kann.' 'Gibs auf, gibs auf,'sagte er und wandte sich mit einem groÞen Schwunge ab, so wie Leute, die mit ihrem Lachen allein sein wollen. Hesmiled and said: 'Youasking metheway?' 'Yes,'Isaid, 'since I cannot find it myself.' 'Give it up! Give it up!'said he, and turned with a sudden jerk, like someone who wants to be alone with his laughter.

-Kafka, Franz

I pulled to the side of the street and got out my book of road maps.But to find where you are going, you must know where you are, and I didn't.

-Steinbeck,John Ernest

find quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"find." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 3 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/find>

APA Style

find. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 3rd, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/find

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