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

Explorer : 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

Your mother, heroically, became a warrior and a frontierswoman, an explorer, a pioneer. —Taiye Selasi, New Yorker, 31 May 2026

Kew Gardens, which began in 1759 as a retreat for the royal family, now encompasses the most biodiverse collection in the world, with 17,000 unique plant species, some specimens of which had been gathered, since the 1700s, by British explorers and adventurers roaming the globe. —Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

Franklin, a British explorer, brought 129 officers and crew members aboard HMS Erebus and HMS Terror in 1845 in an attempt to chart the Northwest Passage. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026

The tour will guide explorers around the Plaza, explaining art, the fountains and notable landmarks. —Emily Harter, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for explorer

• restorer
• borer
• corer
• horror
• maurer
• scorer
• storer

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