{
    "term": "explore",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "explore",
            "heSheIt": "explores"
        },
        "pastSimple": "explored",
        "pastParticiple": "explored",
        "ingForm": "exploring"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to travel to or around an area or a country in order to learn about it",
            "sensetop": "explore somethingexplore something for somethingexplore for something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "As soon as we arrived on the island we were eager to explore."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They explored the land to the south of the Murray River.",
                    "contextForm": "explore something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The city is best explored on foot."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Westerners did not set out to **explore the world **until the fifteenth century."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Bears will sometimes explore urban areas for food.",
                    "contextForm": "explore something for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "companies exploring for *(= searching for)* oil",
                    "contextForm": "explore for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We were keen to explore the region."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A day isn't really long enough to explore the town."
                },
                {
                    "text": "After the meeting you will be free to explore at leisure."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Bicycles can be hired if you want to explore further afield."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Stick to the main roads and don't be tempted to go exploring down minor ones."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Holidays", "Hobbies"],
            "collocations": {
                "verb + explore": ["be keen to", "want to", "wish to"],
                "preposition": ["for"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to examine a subject or a possibility completely or carefully in order to find out more about it",
            "sensetop": "explore something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to **explore a theme/an issue**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We will **explore these ideas** in more detail in chapter 7."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to **explore the possibilities/options**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The firm will explore possible joint development projects."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A team was brought in to **explore ways** to create the most profit for shareholders."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He intends to **explore the relationship **between economic class and career choice."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a series of programmes in which she **explores the world **of ballet"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This course offers you the opportunity to explore the history of English."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We need to explore every possible avenue."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The study explores the differences between written dialogue and what people actually say to one another."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The research will explore whether there are common patterns across groups."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These questions have not been fully explored yet."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The film usefully explores some of the issues surrounding adoption."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "analyse",
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["extensively", "briefly", "fully"],
                "verb + explore": ["need to", "be keen to", "want to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to feel something with your hands or another part of the body",
            "sensetop": "explore something (with something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She explored the sand with her toes."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈsplɔː(r)/",
                "audio": "ex/explore/explore__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈsplɔːz/",
                "audio": "ex/explore/explores__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈsplɔːd/",
                "audio": "ex/explore/explored__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈsplɔːrɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ex/explore/exploring__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈsplɔːr/",
                "audio": "ex/explore/explore__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈsplɔːrz/",
                "audio": "ex/explore/explores__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈsplɔːrd/",
                "audio": "ex/explore/explored__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ɪkˈsplɔːrɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ex/explore/exploring__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘investigate (why)’): from French explorer, from Latin explorare ‘search out’, from ex- ‘out’ + plorare ‘utter a cry’."
}