find transitive verb [imperfect or past participle Found (found); present participle or verbal noun Finding.] [AS. findan; akin to D. vinden, OS. & OHG. findan, G. finden, Dan. finde, icel. & Sw. finna, Goth. finþan; and perh. to L. petere to seek, Gr. πίπτειν to fall, Skr. pat to fall, fly, E. petition.]

1. To meet with, or light upon, accidentally; to gain the first sight or knowledge of, as of something new, or unknown; hence, to fall in with, as a person.

Searching the window for a flint, I found
This paper, thus sealed up. Shak.

In woods and forests thou art found. Cowley.

2. To learn by experience or trial; to perceive; to experience; to discover by the intellect or the feelings; to detect; to feel.

“I find you passing gentle.” Shak.

The torrid zone is now found habitable. Cowley.

3. To come upon by seeking; as, to find something lost.

(a) To discover by sounding; as, to find bottom.

(b) To discover by study or experiment direct to an object or end; as, water is found to be a compound substance.

(c) To gain, as the object of desire or effort; as, to find leisure; to find means.

(d) To attain to; to arrive at; to acquire.

Seek, and ye shall find. Matt. vii. 7.

Every mountain now hath found a tongue. Byron.

4. To provide for; to supply; to furnish; as, to find food for workemen; he finds his nephew in money.

Wages £14 and all found. London Times.

Nothing a day and find yourself. Dickens.

5. To arrive at, as a conclusion; to determine as true; to establish; as, to find a verdict; to find a true bill (of indictment) against an accused person.

To find his title with some shows of truth. Shak.

To find out

to detect (a thief); to discover (a secret) – to solve or unriddle (a parable or enigma); to understand.

“Canst thou by searching find out God?” Job. xi. 7. “We do hope to find out all your tricks.” Milton.

To find fault with

to blame; to censure.

To find one’s self

to be; to fare; – often used in speaking of health; as, how do you find yourself this morning?

Find intransitive verb (Law) To determine an issue of fact, and to declare such a determination to a court; as, the jury find for the plaintiff. Burrill.

Find, noun Anything found; a discovery of anything valuable; especially, a deposit, discovered by archæologists, of objects of prehistoric or unknown origin.