TOP

Definition of search noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

search

noun
 
/sɜːtʃ/
 
/sɜːrtʃ/
jump to other results
  1. an attempt to find somebody/something, especially by looking carefully for them/it
    • search for somebody/something a long search for the murder weapon
    • She began a search for new premises
    • The search for a cure goes on.
    • The search is on (= has begun) for someone to fill the post.
    • search of something Detectives carried out a thorough search of the building.
    • Police conducted a fingertip search of the garden.
    • in search of somebody/something She went into the kitchen in search of (= looking for) a drink.
    • Eventually the search was called off.
    • a search and rescue team
    see also word search
    Extra Examples
    • His disappearance prompted a week-long search.
    • A team of police officers did a fingertip search of the area.
    • I was subjected to a body search by customs officials.
    • Inspector Binns is leading the search for the stolen paintings.
    • Police conducted a routine search of all the houses in the area.
    • The search for the missing men was conducted in poor weather conditions.
    • The police immediately launched a nationwide search for the killer.
    • The police mounted an extensive search operation.
    • We're constantly in search of new talent.
    • random security searches
    • the search for oil off the coast
    • to narrow the search area
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • exhaustive
    • extensive
    • painstaking
    verb + search
    • begin
    • initiate
    • launch
    search + noun
    • operation
    • area
    • party
    preposition
    • in search of
    • search for
    phrases
    • search and seizure
    See full entry
  2. an act or the activity of looking for information on a computer or on the internet
    • I've just done a search on the internet and came up with this website.
    • search for something I did an image search for ‘vinyl record’.
    • search on something A Google search on her name yielded nothing.
    • Our site is found on the first page of search results.
    Extra Examples
    • I did an internet search for free music sites.
    • Companies try to identify the most popular search terms.
    • Type your domain name in the search box.
    Topics Computersa2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • quick
    • simple
    • computer
    verb + search
    • conduct
    • do
    • perform
    search + noun
    • engine
    • box
    • features
    preposition
    • search for
    See full entry
  3. see also body search, strip search
    Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French cerchier (verb), from late Latin circare ‘go round’, from Latin circus ‘circle’.
See search in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee search in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
trait
noun
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 5000
B2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day