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definitions

explorer

[ ik-splawr-er, -splohr- ]
/ ɪkˈsplɔr ər, -ˈsploʊr- /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR explorer ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person or thing that explores.
a person who investigates unknown regions: the great explorers of the Renaissance.
any instrument used in exploring or sounding a wound, a cavity in a tooth, or the like.
(initial capital letter) Also called Explorer Scout. a person between the ages 14 and 20 who is an active participant in the exploring program sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America.
(initial capital letter) Aerospace. one of a long series of U.S. scientific satellites: Explorer 1 (1958) was the first U.S. artificial satellite.

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RELATED WORDS

pilgrim, adventurer, pioneer, seeker, traveler, searcher, pathfinder, experimenter

Nearby words

  1. exploits,
  2. exploration,
  3. explorationist,
  4. exploratory,
  5. explore,
  6. explorer tent,
  7. explosible,
  8. explosimeter,
  9. explosion,
  10. explosion shot

Origin of explorer

First recorded in 1675–85; explore + -er1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for explorer

British Dictionary definitions for explorer (1 of 2)

Explorer

1
/ (ɪkˈsplɔːrə) /

noun

US a member of the senior branch of the ScoutsBrit equivalent: Venture Scout

British Dictionary definitions for explorer (2 of 2)

Explorer

2
/ (ɪkˈsplɔːrə) /

noun

any of the first series of US satellites. Explorer 1, launched in 1958, confirmed the existence of intense radiation belts around the earth
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for explorer

explorer

n.

1680s, agent noun from explore. Replaced earlier exploratour (mid-15c.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for explorer

explorer

[ ĭk-splôr′ər ]

n.

A sharp, pointed probe used on tooth surfaces to detect caries or other defects.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.