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¹search

verb \ˈsərch\

: to carefully look for someone or something : to try to find someone or something

: to carefully look for someone or something in (something)

: to carefully look through the clothing of (someone) for something that may be hidden

Full Definition of SEARCH

transitive verb

: to look into or over carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something: as

a : to examine in seeking something <searched the north field>

b : to look through or explore by inspecting possible places of concealment or investigating suspicious circumstances

c : to read thoroughly : check; especially : to examine a public record or register for information about <search land titles>

d : to examine for articles concealed on the person

e : to look at as if to discover or penetrate intention or nature

: to uncover, find, or come to know by inquiry or scrutiny —usually used with out

intransitive verb

: to look or inquire carefully <searched for the papers>

: to make painstaking investigation or examination

— search·able \ˈsər-chə-bəl\ adjective

— search·er noun

— search·ing·ly \-chiŋ-lē\ adverb

See search defined for English-language learners

See search defined for kids

Origin of SEARCH

Middle English cerchen, from Anglo-French cercher, sercher to travel about, investigate, search, from Late Latin circare to go about, from Latin circum round about — more at circum-

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to SEARCH

Synonyms: comb, dig (through), dredge, hunt (through), rake, ransack, rifle, rummage, scour, sort (through), troll

Rhymes with SEARCH

birch, church, Church, curch, lurch, merch, perch, smirch

²search

noun

: an attempt to find someone or something : the act or process of looking for someone or something

: an attempt to find information in a database, network, Web site, etc., by using a computer program

Full Definition of SEARCH

a : an act of searching <a search for food> <go in search of help>

b : an act of boarding and inspecting a ship on the high seas in exercise of right of search

obsolete : a party that searches

: power or range of penetrating; also : a penetrating effect

See search defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of SEARCH

15th century

Related to SEARCH

Synonyms: hunt, quest

SEARCH Defined for Kids

¹search

verb \ˈsərch\

searchedsearch·ing

Definition of SEARCH for Kids

: to go through or look around carefully and thoroughly in an effort to find something <… she searched the nearby shore for signs of an intruder. — E. B. White, The Trumpet of the Swan>

: to carefully look for someone or something

: to look in the pockets or the clothing of (someone) for something hidden