Home / Dictionary / Search

Search Very Common

Search has 12 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

the activity of looking thoroughly in order to find something or someone

"The detective spent hours searching through every drawer and closet before finally finding the missing wallet under the sofa cushions."

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"

6

An attempt to find something.

"I spent all morning searching for my keys before I finally found them under the sofa cushions."

In plain English: A search is the act of looking for something specific by checking different places or going through items until you find it.

"The police launched a city-wide search for the missing child."

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"

4

subject to a search

"The police searched the suspect"

"We searched the whole house for the missing keys"

5

To look in (a place) for something.

"The detective searched every corner of the crime scene for any clues that might have been overlooked."

In plain English: To search means to look for something carefully by going through different places or items.

"I will search my bag for my keys."

Usage: Use search when you are actively looking through an area or object to find something specific, such as searching the house for keys. It differs from simply glancing around because it implies a thorough and deliberate effort to locate the target item.

Proper Noun
1

A surname​.

"The librarian accidentally called Mr. Search by his first name when he asked for a book recommendation."

Example Sentences
"The police launched a city-wide search for the missing child." noun
"I will search my bag for my keys." verb
"She searched her bag for the missing keys before leaving home." verb
"The detective searched the entire house for any signs of burglary." verb
"He will search his phone to find that old photo from last year." verb
See Also
find research look hunt keyword stuffing search box expiscatory house search
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
activity investigation operation higher cognitive process examination examine investigate
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
exploration foraging frisk looking manhunt quest ransacking scouring shakedown hunt pursuit dredge finger grope divine browse leave no stone unturned gather want scour seek out quest for fish grub feel shop cruise prospect intrude google mapquest re-explore cast about raid strip-search scan rifle rummage comb

Origin

The word "search" comes from the Middle English serchen, which was borrowed from Old French and ultimately derived from Late Latin circō, meaning "to circle" or "go around." This original sense of moving around to find something evolved into the modern definition of looking for information or an object.

Rhyming Words
rch arch torch march parch virch lurch borch murch kerch garch burch merch zorch perch porch harch lorch birch starch
Compare
Search vs