1
[ verb ] after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

Examples

"find the product of two numbers" "The physicist who found the elusive particle won the Nobel Prize"

Used in print

(Clifford H. Pope, The Giant Snakes....)

Other herpetologists have ascertained that in the northern United_States the prairie_rattlesnake may_not give first birth until it is four or even five years old , and that the young may be_born every_other year , rather_than annually .

(Richard F. McLaughlin, et al., "A study of the...)

Anatomically , the horse lung appears to be remarkably like that of man , insofar as this can be ascertained from comparison of our findings in the horse with those of others ( Birnbaum , ' 54 ) in the human_being .

(Edwin L. Bigelow and Nancy H. Otis,...)

In November 1900 surveying was done under John_Marsden on the east mountains to ascertain if it would be possible to get sufficient water and fall to operate an electric power_plant .

2
[ verb ] be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something

Examples

"He verified that the valves were closed" "See that the curtains are closed" "control the quality of the product"

Used in print

(Edwin Booth, Outlaw Town....)

He paused only long enough to ascertain that Jess 's buckskin was still missing and that his own gray was all_right , then climbed through a back window and dropped to the ground outside .

3
[ verb ] find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort

Examples

"I want to see whether she speaks French" "See whether it works" "find out if he speaks Russian" "Check whether the train leaves on time"

4
[ verb ] give evidence

Examples

"he was telling on all his former colleague"

5
[ verb ] learn or discover with certainty

Related terms

learn price

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