Probe Meaning
/pɹəʊb/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny of various medical instruments used to explore wounds, organs, etc.
nounAny of various medical instruments used to explore wounds, organs, etc., An anal probe, a fictional instrument commonly used by aliens on abducted humans.
Sentence Examples
Probe into the cause of the accident.
Investigators are running a probe into what caused the crash.
A police probe into the financial affairs of the company
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The doctor used a thin instrument to ____ the wound and check for damage.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The journalist decided to ____ deeper into the financial records to uncover the source of the funds.
Word Origin & History
For verb: borrowed from Latin probare (“to test, examine, prove”), from probus (“good”). Doublet of prove. For noun: borrowed from Late Latin proba (“a proof”), from probare (“to test, examine, prove”); Doublet of proof. Compare Spanish tienta (“a surgeon's probe”), from tentar (“try, test”); see tempt.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"You know, XR178.9, we haven't done any anal probes in a while."
— 2004 August 2, Bayard Russell, nonemorecomic:
"You listen here! We don't do anal probes like other aliens, but I'm about to make an exception!"
— 2009 September 14, Ryan Hudson, “Can I Abduct You?”, in ChannelATE:
"Silverberg also gives the reader reader some excellent character insight; deep probes into the minds of all the principals bring the reader closer to the persons involved than might be thought possible with the plot so far removed from the realm of normality."
— 1973 August 4, J. Ralf Green, “The Hossenpfepper Column”, in Gay Community News, page 3:
"the growing disposition to probe the legality of all acts of the crown"
— 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:
"It was exhilarating to watch him share a meal and then probe deeper into the cultures, the politics, and the heartbeat of the people of the city or country he was in. He seemed so learned, but not in any pretentious way."
— 2019, Chris Meyer, (Please provide the book title or journal name), page 116:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The doctor used a thin instrument to ____ the wound and check for damage.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The journalist decided to ____ deeper into the financial records to uncover the source of the funds.