A slender rod of flexible material, with blunt bulbous tip, used for exploring sinuses, fistulae, other cavities, or wounds. 2. A device or agent used to detect or explore a substance, e.g., a molecule used to detect the presence of a specific fragment of DNA or RNA or of a specific bacterial colony. 3. To enter and explore, as with a probe.

: a slender medical instrument used especially for exploration (as of a wound or body cavity) 2 a : any of various testing devices or substances: such as (1) : a pointed metal tip for making electrical contact with a circuit element being checked

Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD home medical dictionary Probe: 1: In surgery, a probe is a slender flexible rod with a blunt end used to explore, for example, an opening to see where it goes. 2: In molecular genetics, a probe is a labeled bit of DNA or RNA used to find its complementary sequence or locate a particular clone.