probe

Main Entry:: ¹probe
Pronunciation:: \ˈprōb\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Medieval Latin proba examination, from Latin probare
Date:: 1580

1: a slender medical instrument used especially for exploration (as of a wound or body cavity)2 a: any of various testing devices or substances: as (1): a pointed metal tip for making electrical contact with a circuit element being checked (2): a usually small object that is inserted into something so as to test conditions at a given point (3): a device used to penetrate or send back information especially from outer space or a celestial body (4): a device (as an ultrasound generator) or a substance (as radioactively labeled DNA) used to obtain specific information for diagnostic or experimental purposes b: a pipe on the receiving airplane thrust into the drogue of the delivering airplane in air refueling3 a: the action of probing b: a penetrating or critical investigation c: a tentative exploratory advance or survey

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