'explore' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'explorare,' where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'plorare' meant 'to cry out or to search.'

'explorare' transformed into the Old French word 'explorer,' and eventually became the modern English word 'explore' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to search out,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to travel through an unfamiliar area to learn about it.'