English Explanatory Dictionary

probe

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of various medical instruments used to explore wounds, organs, etc.
  2. An anal probe, a fictional instrument commonly used by aliens on abducted humans.
  3. Something which penetrates something else, as though to explore; something which obtains information.
  4. An act of probing; a prod, a poke.
  5. An investigation or inquiry.
  6. A tube attached to an aircraft which can be fitted into the drogue from a tanker aircraft to allow for aerial refuelling.
  7. A small device, especially an electrode, used to explore, investigate or measure something by penetrating or being placed in it.
  8. A small, usually uncrewed, spacecraft used to acquire information or measurements about its surroundings.
  9. A move with multiple possible answers, seeking to make the opponent choose and commit to a strategy.
  10. Any group of atoms or molecules radioactively labeled in order to study a given molecule or other structure
verb
  1. To explore, investigate, question, test, or prove.
  2. To insert a probe into.
name
  1. A model of Ford automobile.

Pronunciation

/pɹəʊb/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-probe.wav /pɹoʊb/

Word forms

probe probes probing probed

Etymology

For verb: borrowed from Latin probare (“to test, examine, prove”), from probus (“good”). Doublet of prove. For noun: borrowed from Late Latin proba (“a proof”), from probare (“to test, examine, prove”); Doublet of proof. Compare Spanish tienta (“a surgeon's probe”), from tentar (“try, test”); see tempt.

Synonyms

yosu-miru

Related words

probable proband probation probeable probesome probity proof prove

Derived words

armed probe bioprobe Bracewell probe cryoprobe endoprobe fluoroprobe geoprobe immunoprobe lambda probe light probe microprobe milliprobe miniprobe misprobe multiprobe nanoprobe oligoprobe photoprobe probeable probe-and-drogue probelike prober probe-scissors probeset pyroprobe radioprobe reflection probe reprobe riboprobe space probe thermoprobe thetaprobe von Neumann probe unprobed

Translations

Arabic: مِسْبَار Bulgarian: сонда Catalan: sonda Czech: sonda French: sonde French: explorateur Greek: καθετήρας Ancient Greek: μήλη Hebrew: זונדה Italian: sonda Italian: specillo Latin: specillum Latin: mēlōtris Māori: rou Māori: toromoka Occitan: sonda Polish: sonda Portuguese: sonda Russian: зонд Russian: щуп Spanish: tienta Spanish: sonda Telugu: ఏషణి Turkish: sonda Ottoman Turkish: میل Ottoman Turkish: سونده Ottoman Turkish: اسقندیل
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