I. rə̇ˈvēl, rēˈ- transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English revelen, from Middle French reveler, from Latin revelare to reveal, unveil, from re- + velare to veil, from velum veil
1. : to communicate or make known by superhuman means or agency : disclose or make manifest through divine inspiration (as in a vision)
2. : to make (something secret or hidden) publicly known : divulge
reveal a confidence
revealed his plans for the nation
3. : to open up to view : show plainly or clearly : display
the rising curtain revealed a street scene
the painting reveals the painter
the dress revealed nearly everything
Synonyms:
discover , disclose , divulge , tell , betray , bewray : reveal indicates a making known or setting forth sometimes comparable to unveiling; it may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation, to simple disclosure, or to indication by signs, symptoms, or similar evidence
laws divine deduced by reason or to faith revealed — William Wordsworth
the artist, the man of genius, raises this veil and reveals nature to us — Havelock Ellis
he revealed his gift for patient diplomacy — John Buchan
conversation revealed a persistent, if muted, snobbery — Francis King
discover indicates a making known or showing by or as if by uncovering; it is commonly used in connection with matters kept secret and not previously known
a test which we may apply to all figure painters — a test which will often discover the secret of unsatisfactory design — Laurence Binyon
disclose is more common than discover to indicate these notions
the stress of passion often discloses an aspect of the personality completely ignored till then by its closest intimates — Joseph Conrad
did not disclose his objective — Willa Cather
divulge indicates disclosing, often with a degree of publicity or with a suggestion of impropriety or breach of confidence, real or implied
knew of the conspiracy and did not divulge it — Hilaire Belloc
the prefaces written for it … divulged the closest workshop secrets that any novelist has yet confided to nonnovelists — C.E.Montague
tell may simply indicate giving necessary or helpful information
kiss and tell
tell him the news
betray is stronger than divulge in centering attention on breaches of confidence and than reveal when outward signs or indications are involuntary
letters that would betray the conspiracy he had entered into — Sherwood Anderson
the deep fondness of her heart betrayed itself by a faint smile — Anne D. Sedgwick
bewray is an archaic synonym for reveal or betray
silence in love bewrays more woe than words — Walter Raleigh
II. noun
( -s )
: revelation , disclosure
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration (influenced by reveal ) (II) of earlier revale, from Middle English revalen, v., to lower, bring down, from Middle French revaler, from re- + -valer (from val valley) — more at vale
1. : the side of an opening (as for a window or doorway) between a doorframe or window frame and the outer surface of a wall ; also : the whole thickness of the wall where the opening is not filled (as with a door) : jamb
2. : the border surrounding a window of an automobile