search

Pronunciation: /səːtʃ/

Definition of search

[no object]

try to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly:I searched among the rocks, but there was nothing Daniel is then able to search out the most advantageous mortgage Hugh will be searching for the truth
[with object] examine (a place, vehicle, or person) thoroughly in order to find something or someone:she searched the house from top to bottom the guards searched him for weapons
[with object] look for information or an item of interest in (a computer network or database) by keying words or other characters into a search engine:I must search the Internet for one of his pictures search our online archive for stories dating back to February 1996 [no object]:you can search for recipes by topic or by entering a keyword, such ‘cranberry’

an act of searching for someone or something:the police carried out a thorough search of the premises he plans to go to the Himalayas in search of a yeti
an act of searching a computer database or network:time-consuming searches of the Internet
Computing the systematic retrieval of information, or the facility for this:the advanced search includes options for sorting by date and specifying the news source [as modifier]:users will abandon a site if the search function doesn’t work well
Law an investigation of public records to find if a property is subject to any liabilities or encumbrances.

Phrases

Middle English: from Old French cerchier (verb), from late Latin circare 'go round', from Latin circus 'circle'

Definition of search in the US English dictionary