seek

 
Pronunciation: /siːk/

verb (past and past participle sought /sɔːt/)

[with object]
  • attempt to find (something): they came here to seek shelter from biting winter winds
  • attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something): the new regime sought his extradition [no object, with infinitive]: her parents had never sought to interfere with her freedom
  • ask for (something) from someone: he sought help from the police
  • (seek someone/thing out) search for and find someone or something: it’s his job to seek out new customers
  • archaic go to (a place): I sought my bedroom each night to brood over it

Phrases

seek dead

British used to instruct a retriever to go and look for game that has been shot.

seek one's fortune

travel somewhere in the hope of achieving wealth and success: he emigrated to Britain to seek his fortune

to seek

archaic
lacking; not yet found: the end she knew, the means were to seek
(far to seek) out of reach; a long way off: the reason is not far to seek

Derivatives

seeker

noun
[often in combination]: a pleasure-seeker a job-seeker

Origin:

Old English sēcan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zieken and German suchen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin sagire 'perceive by scent'