spelunker

noun spe·lunk·er \ spi-ˈləŋ-kər , ˈspē-ˌləŋ- \

|Updated on: 25 May 2018

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of spelunker

: one who makes a hobby of exploring and studying caves

See spelunker defined for English-language learners

See spelunker defined for kids

spelunker was our Word of the Day on 04/30/2010. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of spelunker from the Web

But fear not, urban spelunkers and cavern connoisseurs: Bagley said the city hopes to offer more tours, perhaps in October, to commemorate Massachusetts Archaeology Month.

— michael levenson, BostonGlobe.com, "Photos of the abandoned subway tunnel beneath City Hall," 21 May 2018
Teams can either tackle the courses physically, or design a simulated spelunker.

— matt simon, WIRED, "Darpa's Next Challenge? A Grueling Underground Journey," 15 May 2018
The spelunkers of The Descent are stuck in utter darkness below the Appalachian mountains even without cannibal troglodytes; to be left alone out in the Atlantic Ocean, as in Open Water, is awful enough without sharks.

— asher elbein, The Atlantic, "The Terror Is More Than a Chilling Monster Show," 1 May 2018
Sadly for would-be spelunkers, the hole in the road will be given a permanent seal.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "More details released about the prehistoric cave uncovered in the middle of a Texas neighborhood," 28 Feb. 2018
This created the network of fissures the spelunkers discovered.

— louis cheslaw, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Network of Ancient Caves Was Just Discovered Under Montreal," 7 Dec. 2017
The supervisor said several dozen rescue workers in all were sent to the cave, which is popular with spelunkers.

— rita giordano, Philly.com, "Teen trapped in Lancaster cave," 17 Feb. 2018
Sadly for would-be spelunkers the hole in the road has been closed off while construction crews work to create a permanent seal.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "The roof of a cave collapsed in Round Rock in the middle of a subdivision," 9 Feb. 2018
Berger’s team has argued that the individuals found so far must have entered Dinaledi through the chute—but unlike today’s spelunkers, some H. naledi may not have entered the chamber alive.

— michael greshko, National Geographic, "Cave Explorers Find New Fossils of Mysterious Human Relative," 13 Sep. 2017

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.

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."

Origin and Etymology of spelunker

Latin spēlunca "cave" (borrowed from Greek spēlynk-, stem of spêlynx "cave") + ²-er — 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'."

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1942

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year