spelunker
nounEtymology From then-obsolete spelunk (noun) + -er. Coined by New England cave explorer Roger Charles Johnson in the 1930s.
- I took to fishing, on mountain brooks and lakes, and finally I was inveigled into becoming a spelunker. A spelunker is a human worm who crawls into caves ("splunca" is Latin for cave) and explores them.1943, Clay Perry, Author and Journalist Magazine:
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Derogatory An amateur or inadequately prepared caver.
- I am officially a spelunker – but not yet a caver. The dictionary definition of spelunking is “exploring caves for sport.” Serious enthusiasts shun the term, however. They are cavers. A spelunker is an inexperienced amateur. On this dry and balmy mid-November Saturday, our group contains three spelunkers and two cavers.2002, Doug van Hemessen, “Caved in: Inside a crevice cave on the Niagara Escarpment”, in Seasons, volume 43, page 41:
- But the scariest of all’s the witless caver; Spelunker is the name that he goes by. He caves alone with just one light, A worn-out rope, and boots too tight, Looking for a cave in which to die.2003, Dangerous Dick & the Duckbusters, “Creepy Crawlways”:
2 more examples
- it is a truth that every caver was once a spelunker with a flashlight and a tangled ball of string.2011, Michael Gordon, Caving in Ontario: Exploring Buried Karst:
- “‘Cavers,’” the editor notes, “generally consider ‘spelunkers’ to be people who have no real knowledge or understanding of caves and caving safety, but who decide to enter a cave anyway, usually without proper equipment.”2018, Douglas Reichert Powell, Endless Caverns: An Underground Journey into the Show Caves of Appalachia:
- Derived terms
- spelunk, spelunking