spelunker

noun

spe·lunk·er spi-ˈləŋ-kər

ˈspē-ˌləŋ-

: one who makes a hobby of exploring and studying caves

Did you know?

Spelunker sounds like the noise a pebble makes when you drop it down a deep hole and into dark, hidden water far below. But there's nothing dark or obscure about the etymology of the term. We borrowed "spelunker" from Latin spelunca, which in turn derives from Greek spelynx. When you get to the bottom of things, you find that both the Latin and Greek words mean "cave." Although "spelunker" might sound neat, be careful: some cave-exploring enthusiasts prefer the term "caver."

Examples of spelunker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But in 2020, a group of spelunkers and ecologists, including Dr. Manenti, spotted an olm swimming in an aboveground spring. —

Elizabeth Anne Brown, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Indiana’s bat populations are under pressure, and the Hoosier National Forest is reminding would-be spelunkers to stay out of caves until May. —

Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Some professional spelunkers had expressed incredulity at the notion that the experience had been easy. —

D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2024 The Motril spelunkers drop a luminescent bottle through a hole in the cave roof with a handwritten message explaining the problem. —

D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spelunker

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spelunker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin spēlunca "cave" (borrowed from Greek spēlynk-, stem of spêlynx "cave") + -er entry 2 — more at speleology

Note: Word popularized, if not coined, by the author and outdoorsman Clair Willard Perry ("Clay Perry," 1887-1961), perhaps earliest in Underground New England (Brattleboro, VT: Stephen Daye Press, 1939), p. 219: "There is an informal caveman's club in New England, a group of men and boys who for several years have been making a more or less systematic study of the caves and old mines of the country, extending their research throughout eastern New York state as well. They call themselves 'spelunkers,' taking the name from the snappy Latin title for a cave, 'spelunka,' and from the high-sounding British caveman's club which is 'British Speleological Association'."

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of spelunker was in 1942

See more words from the same year