explore

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”)).

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ĭksplôʹ, IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsplɔː/
• (General American) enPR: ĭksplôrʹ, IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsplɔɹ/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) enPR: ĭksplōrʹ, IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsplo(ː)ɹ/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /ɪkˈsploə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: ex‧plore

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.

   The committee has been exploring alternative solutions to the problem at hand.

   • 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:

     Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.

3. (transitive) To travel somewhere in search of discovery.

   It was around that time that the expedition began exploring the Arctic Circle.

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

   It is normal for a boy of this age to be exploring his sexuality.

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

   He was too busy exploring to notice his son needed his guidance.

7. (intransitive) To wander without any particular aim or purpose.

   The boys explored all around till cold and hunger drove them back to the campfire one by one.

   • 1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “A Court Ball”, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC, page 9:

     They stayed together during three dances, went out on to the terrace, explored wherever they were permitted to explore, paid two visits to the buffet, and enjoyed themselves much in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups.

8. (transitive) To seek sexual variety, to sow one's wild oats.

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

• explorer
• reexplore

• exploration
• explorative
• exploratory

explore (plural explores)

1. (colloquial) An exploration; a tour of a place to see what it is like.
   • 2008, John Watters, Bonza Voyage:

     Daylight was fading quickly, but I was still keen to have a little explore of the town and beach.

• Audio:

  (file)

explore

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

explore

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

explore

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

explore

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