A Probe Tests, Whether Medical or Interplanetary
A probe is a slender instrument for exploring, or an investigation. The word comes from the Latin for proof.
A probe is a slender instrument for exploring a wound or cavity, an unmanned spacecraft, or an official investigation. Latin *proba* meant a proof or test, from *probare*, to test — so a probe is literally a testing device. That is why *probe* and *proof* and *probable* are relatives: something probable is something that stands up to testing. Newspapers favour *probe* in headlines because it is far shorter than *investigation*.
- A medical instrument. *A surgical probe.*
- A spacecraft. *A space probe.*
- An investigation. *A fraud probe.*
- To explore. *Probe the wound.*
- Latin — *probare*, to test. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | probe | A probe. |
| Plural | probes | Probes. |
| Verb | probe | Probe it. |
| Adjective | probing | A probing question. |
| Latin | probare | To test. |
- The probe sent back images of Jupiter.Space.
- Police opened a probe into the accounts.Investigation.
- She asked probing questions.Adjective.
The probare family
- Probe — an instrument that tests
- Proof — what has passed the test
- Probable — likely to stand up to testing
- Approve — to find good on testing
- Probity — proven honesty
Medieval Latin *proba*, an examination, from Latin *probare*, to test or prove.
Are probe and proof related?
Yes. Both come from Latin probare, to test. Proof is the result of the test, a probe the instrument of it.
Why do headlines use probe?
It means investigation but fits in a fraction of the space, which matters in a headline column.