n.
Pronunciation: ' pr ō b
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 refueling
3 a : the action of probing b : a penetrating or critical investigation c : a tentative exploratory advance or survey