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

Tommy Thompson, a deep-sea explorer who spent more than a decade in federal custody for refusing to disclose the location of a cache of gold coins from a historic shipwreck, was released from prison. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026

French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac died nearly 180 years before he was etched into automotive history. —James Raia, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026

More than 40 backcountry explorers saw avalanches on various Colorado mountain ranges between Friday and Sunday, according to field reports submitted to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2026

All the members of their immediate family were competitive Nordic ski racers, and their mother, father, and grandfather were vaunted polar explorers. —Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 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