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

The two shoreline explorers were out for a languid stroll in their bathing suits on the tip of Conimicut Point. — Mark Reynolds, The Providence Journal, 3 July 2026

This turned a great explorer into a great survivor, as the voyage went down in legend for the extraordinary escape by those on board and a heroically safe return. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Powerful superconducting magnets could also provide a solution to the problem of cancer-causing cosmic radiation that explorers will encounter during stays on the moon or trips deeper into space. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 6 July 2026

Livestock and many Old World crops had already been introduced to North America by European explorers and settlers during the centuries before the nation's founding. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 4 July 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