noun
- a slender, blunt surgical instrument for exploring a wound or the like
- the act of probing
- a searching examination; specif.,
- ☆ an investigation, as by a legislative committee, into corruption, etc.
- an exploratory advance or patrol
- ☆ an instrumented spacecraft for exploring the upper atmosphere, space, or a celestial body in order to get information about the environment, physical properties, etc.
- any of various devices, as a Pitot tube or electrode, inserted into an environment for measuring, testing, etc.
Origin:
LL proba, proof (in ML, examination) < L probare, to test, prove < probus, good, proper < IE *probhwos (> Sans prabhúḥ, outstanding) < base *pro, forward + *bhū, to grow > be
transitive verb probed, probing
- to explore (a wound, etc.) with a probe
- to investigate or examine with great thoroughness