at first / (at the) beginning / first / junior / basic
初
=
刀
+
衤
:
Back in the days when Chantal Chicken first arrived at the space station as the first junior scientist, she tried really hard to make a good first impression and put on a royal ermine coat. Just to be save she hid a cleaver behind her back just in case she wouldn't be received well.
to explore / to search out / to scout / to visit / to stretch forward
探
=
扌
+
冖
+
八
+
木
:
Tecumseh (t) lost an eight-ball (八) during the last billiard game and goes scouting (探) to find it. Eventually he arrives at the anthill's bathroom (an4) and looks under a big Christmas tree (木). He lifts a cooking top (冖) with a toy claw (扌) and finally finds the eight-ball under it.
探
=
扌
+
罙
:
Tecumseh (t) is exploring (探) the chimney of a kitchen range (罙) in the anthill's bathroom (an4). He uses two toy claws (扌) to climb inside of it from bottom to top.