probes
|probe|
🇺🇸
/proʊb/
🇬🇧
/prəʊb/
(probe)
searching examination
Etymology
'probe' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'probare', where 'probare' meant 'to test or prove'.
'probe' passed into Old French/Middle French (forms such as 'prober'/'prover') and then into Middle English as 'proben', eventually becoming the modern English 'probe'.
Initially it meant 'to test or prove'; over time the sense broadened to 'to examine or investigate' and to name devices or craft used for such examination (e.g., medical probes, space probes).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'probe': an instrument, often slender, used to explore, examine, or measure inside something (medical, scientific or technical contexts).
The lab keeps several probes for different types of tests.
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Noun 2
plural of 'probe': unmanned exploratory spacecraft or instruments sent to gather data about space or other environments.
Several space probes have transmitted images of the distant planet.
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Noun 3
plural of 'probe': a careful or thorough investigation or inquiry.
The company launched probes into the cause of the failure.
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Verb 1
third-person singular present of 'probe': to examine or explore by touching, piercing, or using a tool or instrument.
She probes the wound gently with a cotton swab.
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Last updated: 2025/09/26 14:46