spelunk

English

WOTD – 28 December 2011

Etymology

From Latin spelunca, from Ancient Greek σπῆλυγξ (spêlunx, “cave, cavern, grotto”). Cognates include German Spelunke.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /spɨˈlʌŋk/, IPA^(key): /spiːˈlʌŋk/
Audio (US) (file)

Rhymes: -ʌŋk

Noun

spelunk (plural spelunks)

(obsolete) A cave, cavern or grotto.

Translations

cave, cavern, grotto — see cave

Verb

spelunk (third-person singular simple present spelunks, present participle spelunking, simple past and past participle spelunked)

To explore caves.

Synonyms

cave

Derived terms

Translations

to explore caves

Finnish: tutkia luolia (fi)
Russian: иссле́довать пещеры (isslédovatʹ peščery), занима́ться спелеологией (zanimátʹsja speleologijej)

Spanish: hacer espeleología

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