search
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//sɜːt͡ʃ//
- United States//sɝt͡ʃ//
- //sɑː(ɹ)t͡ʃ//
- //sɛːrt͡ʃ//
- //sɛrt͡ʃ//
An attempt to find something.
noun
- 1
An attempt to find something.
With only five minutes until we were meant to leave, the search for the keys started in earnest.
At least eight people died, and officials expressed deep concerns that the toll would rise as more searches of homes were carried out.
- 2
The act of searching in general.
Search is a hard problem for computers to solve efficiently.
Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet. Perhaps we assume that our name, address and search preferences will be viewed by some unseen pair of corporate eyes, probably not human, and don't mind that much.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-der. Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos)bor. Latin circus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Late Latin circō Anglo-Norman sercherbor. Middle English serchen English search Inherited from Middle English serchen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman sercher, Old French cerchier, from Late Latin circō, ,circāre (“to circle; go around; search for”), from circus. Unrelated to German suchen, which is cognate with English seek.
verb
- 1
To look in (a place) for something.
I searched the garden for the keys and found them in the vegetable patch.
- 2
To look thoroughly.
The police are searching for evidence in his flat.
It sufficeth that they have once with care and fairness sifted the matter as far as they could, and searched into all the particulars.
He tried to persuade Cicely to stay away from the ball-room for a fourth dance.[…]But she said she must go back, and when they joined the crowd again[…]she found her mother standing up before the seat on which she had sat all the evening searching anxiously for her with her eyes, and her father by her side.
Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.
- 3
archaicTo look for, seek.
To search the God of loue, her Nymphes she sent / Throughout the wandring forrest euery where[…].
For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
Anough is left besides to search and know.
- 4
To put a phrase into a search engine, especially one besides Google.
I searched "Paris Hilton" and found lots of unflattering stories.
- 5
obsoleteTo probe or examine (a wound).
Now torne we to the xj kynges that retorned vnto a cyte that hyghte Sorhaute / the whiche cyte was within kynge Vryens / and ther they refresshed hem as wel as they myght / and made leches serche theyr woundys and sorowed gretely for the dethe of her peple
Now to the bottome dost thou search my wound.
Thus when they all had sorowed their fill, / They softly gan to search his griesly wownd[…].
His wife perceiving him to droope and languish away, entreated him she might leasurely search and neerely view the quality of his disease[…].
- 6
obsoleteTo examine; to try; to put to the test.
Forms
- plural
- searches
- past tense
- searched
- past participle
- searched
- present participle
- searching
- third person singular
- searches