probe

1 of 2

noun

ˈprōb 

plural probes

1

: a slender medical instrument used especially for exploration (as of a wound or body cavity)

2

a

: any of various testing devices or substances: such as

(1)

: a pointed metal tip for making electrical contact with a circuit element being checked

(2)

: a usually small object that is inserted into something so as to test conditions at a given point

(3)

: a device used to penetrate or send back information especially from outer space or a celestial body

(4)

: a device (such as an ultrasound generator) or a substance (such as radioactively labeled DNA) used to obtain specific information for diagnostic or experimental purposes

b

: a pipe on the receiving airplane thrust into the drogue of the delivering airplane in air refueling

3

a

: the action of probing

b

: a penetrating or critical investigation

c

: a tentative exploratory advance or survey

probe

2 of 2

verb

probed; probing; probes

transitive verb

1

: to search into and explore very thoroughly : subject to a penetrating investigation

2

: to examine with a probe

uncrewed vehicles probed space

intransitive verb

: to make a searching exploratory investigation

prober noun

Synonyms

Noun

• delving
• disquisition
• examen
• examination
• exploration
• inquest
• inquiry
• inquisition
• investigation
• probation
• probing
• research
• study

Verb

• delve (into)
• dig (into)
• examine
• explore
• inquire (into)
• investigate
• look (into)
• research

Choose the Right Synonym for probe

enter, penetrate, pierce, probe mean to make way into something.

enter is the most general of these and may imply either going in or forcing a way in.

entered the city in triumph

penetrate carries a strong implication of an impelling force or compelling power that achieves entrance.

the enemy penetrated the fortress

pierce means an entering or cutting through with a sharp pointed instrument.

pierced the boil with a lancet

probe implies penetration to investigate or explore something hidden from sight or knowledge.

probed the depths of the sea

Examples of probe in a Sentence

Noun

The FBI probe did not produce any new evidence.

a congressional probe into the accusations

Verb

His questions made it clear he was probing for information.

He didn't like the police probing into his past.

He didn't like the police probing him about his past.

The doctor probed the wound with his finger.

Searchers probed the mud with long poles.

She probed the files for evidence that would help the investigation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In May 2023, while facing a House ethics probe, Santos was arrested on federal fraud charges that accuse him of bilking political donors. —Brian Mann, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024

The probe is now about eight times farther from the sun than Uranus is on average. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024

In interstellar space The probe and its twin, Voyager 2, are the only spacecraft to ever fly in interstellar space (the space between stars). —Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024

The probes are currently venturing through uncharted cosmic territory along the outer reaches of the solar system. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024

That means no formal antitrust probe—although the European Commission is still looking into the wider network of partnerships between Big Tech and AI startups, to see if there’s anything untoward going on. —David Meyer, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024

Real Americans, by Rachel Khong Rachel Khong’s dazzling second novel probes issues of class, race, genetics, and identity. —Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024

That probe, to be launched Wednesday by the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, could lead to the imposition of fresh tariffs or other penalties on Chinese vessels. —David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024

The criminal probe comes on the heels of a separate investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which is looking into what caused the crash and other safety issues. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024

Verb

Much of the justices' questioning of the attorneys on Thursday turned on hypotheticals to probe at the limits of each of their arguments about whether presidents should or should not be immune from prosecution. —Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024

Well Plus, Swift’s songs probe nuances of life that are often unique to women. —Angela Haupt, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024

With their blackout curtains drawn firmly against the probing eyes of not only Nazi bombers but also administrative officials on the hunt for rebellious scientists, Haldane and Spurway began to recruit others who had stayed behind. —Rachel Lance, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

Yet days after the invasion began, Moscow began probing to find grounds for a compromise. —Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024

But the quarter wasn’t without its hiccups, including blows to profits in an effort to cover bad loans, probes from federal regulators, and costs associated with new, streamlining strategies. —Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024

To find those clues, Abdus-Saboor probes the nervous system at every juncture along the skin-to-brain axis. —Quanta Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

Here’s what might New tools can also probe into coping mechanisms and support systems and how these evolve over time. —Wendy Ward, STAT, 10 Apr. 2024

Last year, Hayden pushed Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman to continue preserving the county’s old ballots as the sheriff probes an election software company the county once used to manage poll workers. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Medieval Latin proba examination, from Latin probare

First Known Use

Noun

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1542, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Phrases Containing probe

• electron probe
• space probe

Kids Definition

probe

1 of 2 noun

ˈprōb 

1

: a slender medical instrument especially for examining a cavity (as a deep wound)

2

: a device used to penetrate or send back information especially from outer space

3

: a careful investigation

4

: an attempt to explore or learn about some unknown place

a space probe

probe

2 of 2 verb

probed; probing

1

: to examine with or as if with a probe

2

: to investigate thoroughly

prober noun

Medical Definition

probe

1 of 2 noun

ˈprōb 

1

: a surgical instrument that consists typically of a light slender fairly flexible pointed metal instrument like a small rod that is used typically for locating a foreign body (as a bullet embedded in a part of the body), for exploring a wound or suppurative tract by prodding or piercing, or for penetrating and exploring bodily passages and cavities

2

: a device (as an ultrasound generator) or a substance (as radioactively labeled DNA) used to obtain specific information (as detection of a virus or location of specific segments of a nucleic acid) for diagnostic or experimental purposes

the radioactive probe revealed the distribution of molecules in the membrane

probe

2 of 2 verb

probed; probing

transitive verb

: to examine with or as if with a probe

probe a wound

intransitive verb

: to search by using a probe

probe for a bullet