Humboldt n 1: German philologist noted for his studies of the relation between language and culture (1767-1835) [syn: {Baron Wilhelm von Humboldt}, {Baron Karl Wilhelm von Humboldt}] 2: German naturalist who explored Central and South America and provided a comprehensive description of the physical universe (1769-1859) [syn: {Baron Alexander von Humboldt}, {Baron Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt}]