p. pr. akin to D.
vinden, OS. an;
and perh. to L. petere to seek, Gr. piptein 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 p14 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 ones self, to be;
to fare; -- often used in speaking of health; as, how do you find
yourself this morning?
find (?), v. i. (Law) Todetermine an issue of fact, and to declare such a determination to a
court; as, the jury find for the plaintiff.
Burrill.
find , n. Anything found; adiscovery of anything valuable; especially, a deposit, discovered by
archaologists, of objects of prehistoric or unknown
origin.
