Search
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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
search 
[surch] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
[surch] Pronunciation Key –verb (used with object)
–verb (used without object)
–noun
—Idiom
| 1. | to go or look through (a place, area, etc.) carefully in order to find something missing or lost: They searched the woods for the missing child. I searched the desk for the letter. |
| 2. | to look at or examine (a person, object, etc.) carefully in order to find something concealed: He searched the vase for signs of a crack. The police searched the suspect for weapons. |
| 3. | to explore or examine in order to discover: They searched the hills for gold. |
| 4. | to look at, read, or examine (a record, writing, collection, repository, etc.) for information: to search a property title; He searched the courthouse for a record of the deed to the land. |
| 5. | to look at or beneath the superficial aspects of to discover a motive, reaction, feeling, basic truth, etc.: He searched her face for a clue to her true feelings. |
| 6. | to look into, question, or scrutinize: She searched her conscience. |
| 7. | (of natural elements) to pierce or penetrate: The sunlight searched the room's dark corners. |
| 8. | to uncover or find by examination or exploration (often fol. by out): to search out all the facts. |
| 9. | Military. to fire artillery over (an area) with successive changes in gun elevation. |
| 10. | Computers. to examine (one or more files, as databases or texts) electronically, to locate specified items. |
| 11. | to inquire, investigate, examine, or seek; conduct an examination or investigation. |
| 12. | an act or instance of searching; careful examination or investigation. |
| 13. | the practice, on the part of naval officers of a belligerent nation, of boarding and examining a suspected neutral vessel at sea in order to ascertain its true nationality and determine if it is carrying contraband: the right of visit and search. |
| 14. | search me, I don't know: Why has it taken so long to reach a decision? Search me. |
[Origin: 1300–50; (v.) ME serchen, cerchen (< AF sercher) < OF cerchier < LL circāre to go around, deriv. of L circus circle; (n.) ME serche < AF serche, OF cerche, deriv. of cerchier]
] —Related forms
search·a·ble, adjective
search·a·ble·ness, noun
searcher, noun
—Synonyms 1. investigate. 2. inspect. 12. inspection, scrutiny.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| search
(sûrch) Pronunciation Key
v. searched, search·ing, search·es v. tr.
v. intr. To conduct a thorough investigation; seek: were searching for clues. n.
[Middle English serchen, from Anglo-Norman sercher, variant of Old French cerchier, from Latin circāre, to go around, from Latin circus, circle, from Greek krikos, kirkos; see sker-2 in Indo-European roots.] search'a·ble adj., search'er n. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
search (v.)
search (v.)
c.1330, from O.Fr. cerchier "to search," from L. circare "go about, wander, traverse," from circus "circle." The noun is first recorded c.1400. Phrase search me as a verbal shrug of ignorance first recorded 1901. Search warrant first attested 1739. Search-light recorded from 1883.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| search | |
noun | |
| 1. | the activity of looking thoroughly in order to find something or someone |
| 2. | an investigation seeking answers; "a thorough search of the ledgers revealed nothing"; "the outcome justified the search" |
| 3. | an operation that determines whether one or more of a set of items has a specified property; "they wrote a program to do a table lookup" |
| 4. | the examination of alternative hypotheses; "his search for a move that would avoid checkmate was unsuccessful" |
| 5. | boarding and inspecting a ship on the high seas; "right of search" |
verb | |
| 1. | try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the missing man in the entire county" |
| 2. | search or seek; "We looked all day and finally found the child in the forest"; "Look elsewhere for the perfect gift!" |
| 3. | inquire into; "the students had to research the history of the Second World War for their history project"; "He searched for information on his relatives on the web"; "Scientists are exploring the nature of consciousness" [syn: research] |
| 4. | subject to a search; "The police searched the suspect"; "We searched the whole house for the missing keys" |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This
search
In addition to the idiom beginning with search, also see high and low, search; in search of.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Search
En*search"\, v. i. [OF. encerchier. See Search.] To make search; to try to find something. [Obs.] -- v. t. To search for. [Obs.] --Sir T. Elyot.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Search
Search\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Searched; p. pr. & vb. n. Searching.] [OE. serchen, cerchen, OF. cerchier, F. chercher, L. circare to go about, fr. L. circum, circa, around. See Circle.]1. To look over or through, for the purpose of finding something; to examine; to explore; as, to search the city. "Search the Scriptures." --John v. 39. They are come to search the house. --Shak. Search me, O God, and know my heart. --Ps. cxxxix. 23. 2. To inquire after; to look for; to seek. I will both search my sheep, and seek them out. --Ezek. xxxiv. 11. Enough is left besides to search and know. --Milton. 3. To examine or explore by feeling with an instrument; to probe; as, to search a wound. 4. To examine; to try; to put to the test. To search out, to seek till found; to find by seeking; as, to search out truth. Syn: To explore; examine; scrutinize; seek; investigate; pry into; inquire.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Search
Search\, v. i. To seek; to look for something; to make inquiry, exploration, or examination; to hunt. Once more search with me. --Shak. It sufficeth that they have once with care sifted the matter, and searched into all the particulars. --Locke.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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