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Glite Dictionary
exploratorium

exploratorium

7.7
A place like a museum where people learn by touching and trying things
  • noun
  • /ɪkˌsplɔːrəˈtɔːriəm/
translation icon : exploratorio
  • Library media centers can be the exploratoriums in schools, and teacher-librarians can be the docents, the guides, and the facilitators for students' explorations.

Examples

  • Visitors at the exploratorium can engage with interactive displays and learn about various scientific concepts.

  • At the local exploratorium, kids can experiment with physics by playing with interactive water exhibits.

  • Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art, and Human Perception. Educate. Retrieved January 25, 2006, from **40;5031;TOOLONG

    Academic text (2006)

  • For more information about Mathematica or future and permanent Exploratorium exhibits, parents and educators can visit the museum's website at http://www.exploratorium.edu.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Betascape, the weekend-long "exploratorium" for Baltimore's artists and technologists, is happening this weekend at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

    Blog text (2)

  • The children's museum is an exploratorium filled with hands-on exhibits that teach science in a fun way.

Synonyms

museum
vsexploratorium
∞ 1.0

A building where people see and learn about art, history, or science

is more about hands-on discovery and interactive activities rather than passive display
science museum
vsexploratorium
4 2.4

A museum where people learn about science from displays and experiments

is broader, focusing on playful, interactive exploration across different subjects

How Interactive

makerspace
  • Jargon
1 4.4
exploratorium
7.7
museum
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

exploratorium singular
exploratoriums plural

Morphology

exploratorium = explore (semi-transparent) = explore + atorium

The word is built from explore plus a learned place-related suffix, but the suffix is specialized and the result is a lexicalized museum name.

Etymology

Exploratorium comes from the Latin verb explorare meaning 'to search' and the ending -orium meaning 'a place for', like in auditorium. So an exploratorium is a place for exploring and learning by doing, which is why it often means a hands-on science museum.