browse

1 of 2

verb

ˈbrau̇z 

browsed; browsing

transitive verb

1

a

of an animal : to eat (tender shoots, twigs, leaves of trees and shrubs, etc.) : to consume as browse (see browse entry 2 sense 1)

browsing thistles

b

: graze

2

: to look over casually : skim

browsing the want ads

3

computers : to access (a network) by means of a browser

intransitive verb

1

a

of an animal : to feed on or as if on tender shoots, twigs, and leaves of trees and shrubs : to feed on or as if on browse

b

: graze

cows browsing in the pasture

2

a

: to skim through a book reading passages that catch the eye

b

: to look over or through an aggregate of things casually especially in search of something of interest

browsing through the store's magazine section

browsable

ˈbrau̇-zə-bəl 

adjective

browse

2 of 2

noun

1

: tender shoots, twigs, and leaves of trees and shrubs used by animals for food

2

: an act or instance of browsing

a quick browse through the want ads

Synonyms

Verb

• peek
• glance

Examples of browse in a Sentence

Verb

Several customers were browsing in the bookstore.

He was browsing the want ads in the newspaper.

cows browsing in the pasture

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Glide across the ice at Millennium Park, browse handmade gifts at the Christkindlmarket, or take in sweeping skyline views from the 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2025

Labs is similar to deep research, except that instead of spending extra time to provide a deeper answer to a question, Labs spends extra time creating things for you, leveraging tools like code execution, image generation, and web browsing together. —PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025

Noun

Search by title or topic in the Search Bar in the middle of the Home Page, or click on the blue ‘years’ boxes and browse. —Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025

Bop around the boutique shops on Charles Street selling everything from vintage handbags to eclectic home decor, and duck into Beacon Hill Books & Cafe for warm chai oatmeal or a cup of coffee and a browse. —Kori Perten, AFAR Media, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English brouusen, probably from Anglo-French brouts browse entry 2

Noun

probably modification of Anglo-French brouts, plural of brout sprout, of Germanic origin; akin to Old Saxon brustian to sprout, and perhaps to Old English brēost breast — more at breast

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for browse

• boughs
• bows
• brows
• cows
• dhows
• howes
• mows
• ploughs
• plows
• prows
• scows
• thous

Kids Definition

browse

1 of 2 verb

ˈbrau̇z 

browsed; browsing

1

: to nibble or feed on leaves and shoots

2

: to read or look over something in a light or careless way

browse

2 of 2 noun

1

: tender shoots and leaves used by animals for food

2

: an act or instance of browsing