spelunk

[ spi-luhngk ]

verb (used without object)

1. to explore caves, especially as a hobby.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spelunk¹

Back formation from spelunker, spelunking

Example Sentences

They spent four or five months outlining, researching and doing “historical spelunking” before they began to write, Kenan said.

From Los Angeles Times

I’m pleased to share the results of my spelunking: a can-do, women-run novel from Barbara Kingsolver and a deeply weird, overlooked British story that puts a baby’s existence into grotesquely brilliant prose.

From New York Times

So while Navarro and Danvers are spelunking, he cleans his father’s brains off a mirror and pulls a tooth out of the wall.

From Salon

That includes snorkeling, riding horses, biking, skiing, hiking, climbing, spelunking, kayaking, camping, watching geysers blow, relaxing in hot springs, getting close to volcanoes, and so much more in the 401 national park areas.

From National Geographic Kids

The shadows and glints thrown on the flat screen seem deep, as if your eye burrows into the surface, spelunking in caves of dust or drifting through nebulae.

From New York Times