explorer

noun

ex·​plor·​er ik-ˈsplȯr-ər 

1

: one that explores

especially : a person who travels in search of geographical or scientific information

2

capitalized : a member of a coed scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America for young people ages 14 to 20 focusing on career awareness

Examples of explorer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Drawing on journals, ships’ logs and other primary sources, the historian tells the tale of Captain James Cook’s final voyage to the Pacific, which ended with the British explorer’s death at the hands of a crowd of Hawaiians in 1779. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024

With a surplus looming next year, the global oil market is watching to see at what rate American explorers drill new wells. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024

In May 1541, Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado led an expedition of approximately 1,500 men through the Texas Panhandle in search of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 26 Nov. 2024

Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer for whom the North and South American continents are now named, was an acquaintance of da Vinci in the late 1400s. —Hunter Ingram For Variety, ARTnews.com, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

explorer

noun

ex·​plor·​er ik-ˈsplōr-ər 

-ˈsplȯr-

1

: one that explores

a vehicle called the lunar explorer

especially : a person who travels in search of new geographical or scientific information

2

capitalized : a member of the scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America for young people 14 to 20 years old

Medical Definition

explorer

noun

ex·​plor·​er ik-ˈsplōr-ər, -ˈsplȯr- 

: an instrument for exploring cavities especially in teeth : probe sense 1