To detect something means to discover or notice it, especially when it is not easy to see, hear, or understand. It often involves using tools, tests, or careful observation.
From Latin "detegere" meaning "to uncover" or "expose," formed from "de-" (off) and "tegere" (to cover). It came into English via Latin and French legal and scientific language.
Detect literally means to "un-cover" something that was hidden. Whether it’s a lie, a disease, or a distant planet, detection is about revealing what’s already there but out of sight.
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