Final answer:
The original meaning of 'invention' referred to the creation of new ideas, devices, or methods that were previously nonobvious and involved combining existing elements in novel ways. Inventions can be protected by different types of patents and are distinct from discoveries, which uncover what was already there.
Step-by-step explanation:
Originally, the meaning of the concept 'invention' described the independent creation of a new, useful, and nonobvious idea, plan, explanation, theory, principle, device, material, or technique. This definition encompasses a broad range of inventions, which result when something new is created from existing objects or concepts by putting them together in an entirely new manner.
Inventions may be as diverse as new machines, technological devices, or other material products. They can extend to novel processes and methods, as illustrated by the different types of patents: utility patents for new and useful processes, machines, products, or improvements; design patents for new, original, and ornamental designs for products; and plant patents for new varieties of plants.
Inventions are distinct from discoveries, which are about finding something that already exists but was previously unknown. For instance, the discovery of a new planet or a cultural practice existing in an undiscovered land.