a. [f. L. explōrāt- (see EXPLORATE) + -IVE. Cf. F. exploratif, -ive.] Concerned with, or having the object of, exploration or investigation; inclined to make explorations.
1738. Warburton, Div. Legat., App. 63. Albinus … divides Plato’s Dialogues into Classes … explorative, obstetric and subversive.
1852. Fraser’s Mag., XLV. 664. Should the visitor be of a very inquisitive turn, he may satisfy his explorative disposition.
1875. Masson, Wordsworth, etc. 172. A Wordsworth, he admits, might have a genius of the explorative or mystery-piercing kind.
1887. Daily News, 16 Nov., 5/6. An explorative operation in May would have enabled the physicians to recognise the existence of cancer then.
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 8 Aug., 4/2. Few men of his age have done so much explorative tramping.
Hence Exploratively adv. Explorativeness.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., III. II. i. Behoves us, not to enter exploratively its dim embroiled deeps.
1841. Blackw. Mag., L. 155. To prevent your snout, in a fit of explorativeness, from being snubbed by the impudent claws of a … rock.
