Did You Know?

Spelunker sounds like the noise a pebble makes when you drop it down a deep hole and into dark, hidden water far below. But there's nothing dark or obscure about the etymology of the term. We borrowed "spelunker" from Latin spelunca, which in turn derives from Greek spelynx. When you get to the bottom of things, you find that both the Latin and Greek words mean "cave." Although "spelunker" might sound neat, be careful: some cave-exploring enthusiasts prefer the term "caver."

Examples of spelunker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Noted software spelunker Jane Manchun Wong found bits in Facebook’s Android app to allow hidden like counts. — Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, "Why Harvard and Yale Students Can Skip This Computer Science Class—Data Sheet," 3 Sep. 2019 In 1968 a group of amateur spelunkers realized that falling rocks many centuries before had sealed an opening of a cave. — Chiara Goia, National Geographic, "Discover why this stunning region is Spain’s best-kept secret," 14 Dec. 2019 Deep in the bowels of a cave system on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in a dim chamber accessible only to the most intrepid of spelunkers, lies a red-tinted painting depicting what appears to be a vivid hunt or ritual. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "Newly Discovered Indonesian Cave Art May Represent World’s Oldest Known Hunting Scene," 12 Dec. 2019 The caves that comprise Kartchner Caverns State Park were discovered by spelunkers Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts in 1974. — Weldon B. Johnson, azcentral, "Kartchner Caverns is celebrating 20 years. Here's how you can get in free," 13 Nov. 2019 An amnesiac spelunker joins a rescue team to explore underground caves where bloodthirsty creatures dwell. — Los Angeles Times, "Movies on TV for Oct. 6-12: ‘Throne of Blood’ and more," 4 Oct. 2019 In another rescue operation in the Tatra Mountains, TOPR emergency workers have been searching for two spelunkers who went missing in a cave on Saturday after being trapped by rising water. — Washington Post, "Lightning strikes kill 5, injure over 100 in Tatra Mountains," 23 Aug. 2019 One other bit of Apple news: ace software spelunker Steve Troughton-Smith found code in iOS 13 referencing a headset for running augmented reality apps. — Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, "Apple Making the World Safe for ‘Slofies’—Data Sheet," 11 Sep. 2019 This historic national landmark offers day and overnight tours for spelunkers (both novice and experienced) to explore the cave’s 32 miles of stalagmites, stalactites, and other unique features. — National Geographic, "Take an epic road trip to Tennessee’s coolest caverns," 16 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spelunker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for spelunker

Latin spēlunca "cave" (borrowed from Greek spēlynk-, stem of spêlynx "cave") + -er entry 2 — more at speleology

Note: Word popularized, if not coined, by the author and outdoorsman Clair Willard Perry ("Clay Perry," 1887-1961), perhaps earliest in Underground New England (Brattleboro, VT: Stephen Daye Press, 1939), p. 219: "There is an informal caveman's club in New England, a group of men and boys who for several years have been making a more or less systematic study of the caves and old mines of the country, extending their research throughout eastern New York state as well. They call themselves 'spelunkers,' taking the name from the snappy Latin title for a cave, 'spelunka,' and from the high-sounding British caveman's club which is 'British Speleological Association'."

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