explorer

[ik-splawr-er, -splohr-] /ɪkˈsplɔr ər, -ˈsploʊr-/

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.

Origin

1675-85; explore + -er¹

Examples from the web for explorer

Unfortunately with scientific expeditions, the mindset of the actual explorer is hardly relevant.
His viewpoint was totally different from that of the trapper or pioneer, explorer or traveller.
But the work of the genuine explorer and wilderness wanderer is fraught with fatigue, hardship, and danger.
He's an architect by training but an explorer at heart.
It was, at the time, the farthest north any explorer had achieved.
He is an adventurous and indefatigable traveler as well as a brilliant explorer of arcane problems and archives.
Build these large explorer ships in space with landing and takeoff shuttles attached.
There could not possibly be any difficulty locating them with an orbiting explorer.

British Dictionary definitions for explorer

Explorer¹

/ɪkˈsplɔːrə/

noun

(US) a member of the senior branch of the Scouts Brit equivalent Venture Scout

Explorer²

/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

Word Origin and History for explorer

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

explorer in Medicine

explorer ex·plor·er (ĭk-splôr'ər)
n.
A sharp, pointed probe used on tooth surfaces to detect caries or other defects.