This is the 3510th most frequent Dutch word.
ontdekte
"Discovered" (past tense of "discover").
The word 'ontdekte' is the past simple (imperfectum) of the verb 'ontdekken', which means 'to discover', indicating that the subject (she) came across or found something new.
Ze ontdekte een nieuwe technologie die het leven gemakkelijker maakt.
She discovered a new technology that makes life easier.
'Ontdekte' here conveys the action of finding or realizing something that was previously unknown while performing another activity, emphasizing the incidental aspect.
Toen hij door het oude boek bladerde, ontdekte hij een tekening van een onbekend wezen.
While flipping through the old book, he discovered a drawing of an unknown creature.
In this sentence, 'ontdekte' is used to imply that through deliberate investigation or observation during the experiment, the scientist found new information.