find

Etymology

From Middle English finden, from Old English findan, from Proto-West Germanic *finþan, from Proto-Germanic *finþaną (compare West Frisian fine, Low German finden, Dutch vinden, German finden, Danish finde, Norwegian Bokmål finne, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish finna), a secondary verb from Proto-Indo-European *pent- (“to go, pass; path bridge”), whence *póntoh₁s (compare English path, Old Irish étain (“I find”), áitt (“place”), Latin pōns (“bridge”), Ancient Greek πόντος (póntos, “sea”), Old Armenian հուն (hun, “ford”), Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬧𐬙𐬃 (paṇtā̊), Sanskrit पथ (pathá, “path”), Proto-Slavic *pǫtь.)

verb

1. To locate
   1. (transitive) To encounter or discover by accident; to happen upon.
      I found this shell on the beach
      Among the Woods and Forests thou art found. a. 1667, Abraham Cowley, The Request
   2. (transitive) To encounter or discover something being searched for; to locate.
      I found my car keys. They were under the couch.
      Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field. Dr Mincer and Dr Amaral-Zettler found evidence of them on their marine plastic, too. 2013-07-20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845
   3. (ditransitive) Locate on behalf of another
      I found you a new place to live
2. (ditransitive) To discover by study or experiment direct to an object or end.
   Water is found to be a compound substance.
3. (transitive) To gain, as the object of desire or effort.
   to find leisure; to find means
4. (transitive) To attain to; to arrive at; to acquire.
   Looks like he found a new vehicle for himself!
5. (transitive) To meet with; to receive.
   Among newer procedures, the Robb and Steinberg contrast visualization of cardiac chambers and venous catheterization of the right heart have found the broadest study and application. 1951 March, J. H. Lehmann, A. D. Johnson, W. C. Bridges, J. Michel, D. M. Green, “Cardiac Catheterization—A Diagnostic Aid in Congenital Heart Disease”, in Northwest Medicine, volume 50, number 3, Portland, Ore.: Northwest Medical Publishing Association, page 170
6. (transitive) To point out.
   He kept finding faults with my work.
7. (ditransitive) To decide that, to discover that, to form the opinion that.
   I find your argument unsatisfactory.
   The torrid zone is now found habitable. 1647, Abraham Cowley, The Request
   “ the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes And then, when you see [the senders], you probably find that they are the most melancholy old folk with malignant diseases. 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest
8. (transitive) To arrive at, as a conclusion; to determine as true; to establish.
   to find a verdict; to find a true bill (of indictment) against an accused person
9. (transitive, archaic) To supply; to furnish.
   to find food for workmen
10. (transitive, archaic) To provide for
    He finds his nephew in money.
    Nothing a day and find yourself. 1871, Charles Kingsley, At Last: a Christmas in the West Indies
    the pay is good, the musterer receiving ten shillings a day, and all found, all the time he is engaged on the "run," even should he be compelled to remain idle on account of rain or mist. 1892, W. E. Swanton, Notes on New Zealand
11. (intransitive, law) To determine or judge.
    The jury finds for the defendant.
12. (transitive, ball sports) To successfully pass to or shoot the ball into.
    Peters finds Jinkins, who is running down the left wing.
    Van Persie scored a hat-trick against Wigan Atheltic F. C. on Saturday and should have found the net again after Bendtner found him at the far post but the Dutchman's header rebounded to safety off the crossbar. January 25, 2011, Paul Fletcher, “Arsenal 3-0 Ipswich (agg. 3-1)”, in BBC
13. (intransitive, hunting) To discover game.
    They found at once, and there was a short sharp run, during which Linda and Tony, both in a somewhat showing-off mood, rode side by side over the stone walls. 1945, Nancy Mitford, The Pursuit of Love, Penguin, published 2010, page 57

noun

1. Anything that is found (usually valuable), as objects on an archeological site or a person with talent.
   Shepard: How did you get these things to your father? Tali: Sometimes I left packages at secure drops in civilized areas. Someone on Pilgrimage would see that it was shipped home. Tali: For very valuable finds, I'd signal home, and Father would send a small ship. 2010, BioWare, Mass Effect 2 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Alarei
2. The act of finding.