I. ˈsərch 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 verb
1. : to look into or over carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something: as
a. : to examine in seeking something
search ed 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 out
intransitive verb
1. : to look or inquire carefully
search ed 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
II. noun
Date: 15th century
1.
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
2. obsolete : a party that searches
3. : power or range of penetrating ; also : a penetrating effect