explore

English Online Dictionary. What means explore‎? What does explore mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle French explorer, from Latin explōrāre (“to investigate, search out”), itself said to be originally a hunters' term meaning "to set up a loud cry", from ex- (“out”) + plōrāre (“to cry”), but the second element is also explained as "to make to flow" (from pluere (“to flow”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ĭksplôʹ, IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsplɔː/
• (General American) enPR: ĭksplôrʹ, IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsploɹ/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) enPR: ĭksplōrʹ, IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsplo(ː)ɹ/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsploə/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: ex‧plore

Verb

explore (third-person singular simple present explores, present participle exploring, simple past and past participle explored)

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To seek for something or after someone.
2. (transitive) To examine or investigate something systematically.
3. (transitive) To travel somewhere in search of discovery.

4. (intransitive, medicine) To examine diagnostically.
5. (transitive) To (seek) experience first hand.

6. (intransitive) To be engaged exploring in any of the above senses.

7. (intransitive) To wander without any particular aim or purpose.
8. (transitive) To seek sexual variety, to sow one's wild oats.

Synonyms

• (examine or investigate systematically): delve into, research

Derived terms

Related terms

• exploration
• explorative
• exploratory

Translations

Noun

explore (plural explores)

1. (colloquial) An exploration; a tour of a place to see what it is like.

References

French

Pronunciation

Verb

explore

1. inflection of explorer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Galician

Verb

explore

1. inflection of explorar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Portuguese

Verb

explore

1. inflection of explorar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish

Verb

explore

1. inflection of explorar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative