search verb
1 looking [intransitive and transitive] to try to find someone or something by looking very carefully:
It was too dark to search further.
The area was thoroughly searched.
search for
An RAF plane searched for the missing men.
I've searched high and low (=everywhere) for my glasses.
search something for something
Detectives are searching the yard for clues.
search in/under/through etc
Alice bent to search through a heap of clothes.
2 TDcomputer [transitive] to use a computer to find information
search something for something
Search the Web for cheap flights.
3 person [transitive] if someone in authority searches you or the things you are carrying,they look for things you might be hiding
search somebody for something
He was searched by the guards for weapons.
4 solution [intransitive] to try to find an explanation or solution
search for
Scientists are still searching for a cure.
She paused,searching for inspiration.
5 search me!spoken used to tell someone that you do not know the answer to a question:
'Where is she?' 'Search me!'
6 examine [transitive] to examine something carefully in order to find something out,decide something etc:
Anya searched his face anxiously.
—searcher noun [countable]
search something ↔ out phrasal verb
to find something by searching:
We were too tired to search out extra blankets.
search noun
1 [countable usually singular] an attempt to find someone or something
search for
Bad weather is hampering the search for survivors.
search of
a search of the area
The police have already carried out a search.
Perhaps they will wait until morning before launching a search.
Rescuers were forced to abandon their search.
a thorough search of the undergrowth
I spent the next three hours in a fruitless search for a replacement.
The search is now on for a new management team.
2TD [countable] a series of actions done by a computer to find information
search of
a computerized search of 10,000 medical journals
A search found 46 websites.
an online search
perform/run/do a search
Do a search on 'rabbit' and see what it brings up.
3 in search of something looking for something:
Mark went in search of water.
4 [singular] an attempt to find an explanation or solution
search for
the search for a cure