Probed

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Investigated thoroughly to uncover information or details ; physically examined or explored with a probe or similar tool
2. Carried out a detailed inquiry or study to gain understanding ; used an instrument to explore or examine an area or object
3. Searched carefully often to discover facts or gather data ; examined by inserting or touching gently with a device or instrument

Etymology: "Probed" is the past tense of "probe," and the verb traces back to Latin "probare," meaning "to test, examine, prove." That Latin verb grew from "probus," meaning "good," so the idea underlying the word is that something is good when it stands up to testing. English also keeps a close relative in "prove" and "proof," which came into the language through a different path but share the same Latin ancestor, making them doublets. The English verb was borrowed from that Latin root, and its sense has narrowed over time. The Latin word was about testing or proving something generally, while the English "probe" settled into the idea of examining something thoroughly, often by pushing into a space to see what lies within. The same root gave English the noun for the slender surgical instrument a doctor uses to explore a wound, which is why the verb's meaning of using an instrument to examine something feels so natural.

Synonyms: investigated, examined, explored, inquired, inspected

Antonyms: ignored, overlooked, dismissed, shunned, neglected