Main Entry:

¹search

Pronunciation:

\ˈsərch\

Function:

verb

Etymology:

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-

Date:

14th century

transitive verb1: 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 2: to uncover, find, or come to know by inquiry or scrutiny —usually used with outintransitive verb1: to look or inquire carefully <searched for the papers>2: to make painstaking investigation or examination

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

— search·er noun

— search·ing·ly \-chiŋ-lē\ adverb