Library / English Dictionary

PROBE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An investigation conducted using a flexible surgical instrument to explore an injury or a body cavity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("probe" is a kind of...):

research (systematic investigation to establish facts)

Derivation:

probe (examine physically with or as if with a probe)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An exploratory action or expedition

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("probe" is a kind of...):

exploration (a careful systematic search)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A flexible slender surgical instrument with a blunt end that is used to explore wounds or body cavities

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("probe" is a kind of...):

surgical instrument (a medical instrument used in surgery)

Derivation:

probe (examine physically with or as if with a probe)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities

Example:

there was a congressional probe into the scandal

Synonyms:

investigation; probe

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("probe" is a kind of...):

enquiry; inquiry; research (a search for knowledge)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "probe"):

fishing expedition (an investigation undertaken in the hope (but not the stated purpose) of discovering information)

Derivation:

probe (question or examine thoroughly and closely)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Question or examine thoroughly and closely

Synonyms:

examine; probe

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "probe" is one way to...):

investigate; look into (investigate scientifically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "probe"):

enquire; inquire; investigate (conduct an inquiry or investigation of)

re-examine (question after cross-examination by opposing counsel)

hear; try (examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

The men probe the area for animals

The men probe for animals in the area

Derivation:

probe (an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Examine physically with or as if with a probe

Example:

probe an anthill

Synonyms:

dig into; poke into; probe

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "probe" is one way to...):

penetrate; perforate (pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "probe"):

gutter (wear or cut gutters into)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

probe (an investigation conducted using a flexible surgical instrument to explore an injury or a body cavity)

probe (a flexible slender surgical instrument with a blunt end that is used to explore wounds or body cavities)

Credits

 Context examples: 

It has selectivity for PIP2 over other phosphatidylinositol lipids and provides a specific probe for activation of PIP2 metabolism to DG and IP3.

(Phospholipid Associated Cell Signaling Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

The probe will conduct astronomical studies and surveys of the surface’s mineral composition and radiation tests of the surrounding environment.

(Chinese Rover Making Tracks on Dark Side of the Moon, VOA)

Lord Godalming smiled, and the man lifted a good-sized bunch of keys; selecting one of them, he began to probe the lock, as if feeling his way with it.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

A 25 nucleotide probe with an exact sequence match to its target used in analysis of Affymetrix arrays.

(Perfect Match Probe, NCI Thesaurus)

You can imagine that I could hardly come away from the Amazon without probing deeper into the matter.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The average cell intensity for the nine probe cells that compose the cross at the center of the antisense probe array.

(Central Minus, NCI Thesaurus)

To put it into perspective, Neptune is about 30 AU away, the Voyager 1 probe is currently just under 140 AU away, and the nearest known star Proxima Centauri is 268,770 AU away.

(Our Sun Could Have Been Born With an Evil Twin Called "Nemesis", The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The simultaneous hybridization of multiple chromosome painting probes, each tagged with a specific fluorochrome or fluorochrome combination, has resulted in the differential color display of chromosomes, i.e. spectral or color karyotyping.

(Chromosome Painting, NCI Thesaurus)

Briefly, sequence-specific probes are hybridized to cells fixed on slides and the sequestered probe is visualized by a peroxidase reaction.

(Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization, NCI Thesaurus)

For the collection, preservation and distribution of cultures of living microorganisms, viruses, DNA probes, plants, and human and animal

(ATCC, NCI Thesaurus)