• (RP) enPR: ĭksplôʹ, IPA: /ɪkˈsplɔː/
• (America) enPR: ĭksplôrʹ, IPA: /ɪkˈsplɔɹ/
• (rhotic, horse-hoarse) enPR: ĭksplōrʹ, IPA: /ɪkˈsplo(ː)ɹ/
• (nonrhotic, horse-hoarse) IPA: /ɪkˈsploə/

explore (explores, present participle exploring; past and past participle explored)

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To seek for something or after someone.
2. (transitive) To examine or investigate something systematically.

   The committee has been exploring alternative solutions to the problem at hand.

3. (transitive) To travel somewhere in search of discovery.

   It was around that time that the expedition began exploring the Arctic Circle.

4. (intransitive, medicine) To examine diagnostically.
5. (transitive) To (seek) experience first hand.

   It is normal for a boy of this age to be exploring his sexuality.

6. (intransitive) To be engaged exploring in any of the above senses.

   He was too busy exploring to notice his son needed his guidance.

7. (intransitive) To wander without any particular aim or purpose.

   The boys explored all around till cold and hunger drove them back to the campfire one by one.

   • 1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter I, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen, OCLC 12026604 ↗; republished New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1919, OCLC 491297620 ↗:

     They stayed together during three dances, went out on to the terrace, explored wherever they were permitted to explore, paid two visits to the buffet, and enjoyed themselves much in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups.

8. (transitive) To seek sexual variety, to sow one's wild oats.

• (examine or investigate systematically) delve into, research

• exploration
• explorative
• exploratory

• French: explorer
• German: erforschen
• Italian: esplorare, investigare, indagare
• Portuguese: explorar
• Russian: иссле́довать
• Spanish: explorar

• French: explorer
• German: erforschen
• Italian: esplorare
• Portuguese: explorar
• Russian: иссле́довать
• Spanish: explorar

• French: explorer
• German: erforschen
• Italian: esplorare
• Portuguese: explorar
• Russian: изуча́ть

• German: untersuchen
• Italian: esplorare, investigare, indagare
• Portuguese: examinar
• Russian: осма́тривать

• Italian: esplorare, vagare

explore (plural explores)

1. (colloquial) An exploration; a tour of a place to see what it is like.
   • 2008, John Watters, Bonza Voyage

     Daylight was fading quickly, but I was still keen to have a little explore of the town and beach.