probe

B2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /pɹoʊb/ UK /pɹəʊb/ See IPA manual

Freq #7510

Meanings

1

noun
A careful investigation into something, especially something wrong.

The police launched a probe into the missing money.
2

verb
To investigate or ask questions in order to find out the truth.

Reporters began to probe into the company's finances.
3

verb
To examine something physically by touching or reaching into it.

The doctor gently probed the wound to check for damage.
4

noun
A thin instrument or device used to explore or measure something.

She pushed the temperature probe into the soil.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a careful investigation... investigation inquiry

3 verb · to examine something... poke into

Word family

Forms probedprobesprobing

Derived forms bioprobecryoprobeendoprobefluoroprobegeoprobeimmunoprobemicroprobemilliprobeminiprobemisprobemultiprobenanoprobe

Related forms probableprobandprobation probeableprobesomeprobity proof prove

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

space probe
an unmanned spacecraft sent to collect information beyond Earth

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Probe entered English in the late Middle Ages and comes from Latin probare, “to test” or “prove.”

Etymology

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.

*bʰuH- Proto-Indo-European probare Latin proba la-lat

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# probe

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /pɹoʊb/
**IPA (UK):** /pɹəʊb/
**Frequency rank:** 7510

## Meanings
1. A careful investigation into something, especially something wrong.
2. To investigate or ask questions in order to find out the truth.
3. To examine something physically by touching or reaching into it.
4. A thin instrument or device used to explore or measure something.

## Examples
- The police launched a probe into the missing money.
- Reporters began to probe into the company's finances.
- The doctor gently probed the wound to check for damage.
- She pushed the temperature probe into the soil.

## Derived Forms
- bioprobe
- cryoprobe
- endoprobe
- fluoroprobe
- geoprobe
- immunoprobe
- microprobe
- milliprobe
- miniprobe
- misprobe
- multiprobe
- nanoprobe

## Related Forms
- probable
- proband
- probation
- probeable
- probesome
- probity
- proof
- prove

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰuH-
- Root: probare
- Root: proba

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Probe: 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. In present-day English it covers a careful investigation into something, especially something wrong, to investigate or ask questions in order to find out the truth, and to examine something physically by touching or reaching into it. The wider family includes derived forms such as bioprobe, cryoprobe, endoprobe, fluoroprobe, geoprobe and related forms such as probable, proband, probation, probeable.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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