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

And for the armchair explorer, numerous online groups share wildlife trail camera photos — some of which are quite spectacular. —Susan Koch, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026

Premiered at Cannes, played NYFF, TIFF, Palm Springs and AFI Fest, the film tells the story of the 16th century explorer, the first European to cross the Pacific, and the indigenous people of the Philippines who bring his colonial expedition to its proper end. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026

The explorers held a small celebration and called their landing spot Point du Mardi Gras. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Jan. 2026

Venezuela had been known to possess some crude — 15th-century Spanish explorers noticed indigenous people using oil for fires and asphalt to patch their canoes. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 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