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

search

verb

/sɜːtʃ/

/sɜːrtʃ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they search	/sɜːtʃ/ /sɜːrtʃ/
he / she / it searches	/ˈsɜːtʃɪz/ /ˈsɜːrtʃɪz/
past simple searched	/sɜːtʃt/ /sɜːrtʃt/
past participle searched	/sɜːtʃt/ /sɜːrtʃt/
-ing form searching	/ˈsɜːtʃɪŋ/ /ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

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[intransitive, transitive] to look carefully for something/somebody; to examine a particular place when looking for something/somebody
- search for something/somebody She searched in vain for her passport.
- Police searched for clues in the area.
- + adv./prep. The customs officers searched through our bags.
- I've searched high and low for those files.
- I found these photos while searching among some old papers.
- search something His house had clearly been searched and the book was missing.
- search something for something/somebody Police searched the area for clues.
- Firefighters searched the buildings for survivors.
Extra Examples
- Police are still searching for the missing child.
- I searched around for a thick stick.
- We searched among the rocks for crabs.
- He searched in his pocket and found a few coins.
- We searched the house from top to bottom.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- carefully
- systematically
- thoroughly
- …
preposition
- among
- for
- in
- …
phrases
- search far and wide
- search something from top to bottom
- search high and low
- …
See full entry
Definitions on the go

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[intransitive, transitive] to look for information on a computer or on the internet
- search for something You can search for any word or phrase in the text.
- I searched online today for more information on sonic booms.
- search something The database can be searched by keyword, topic or source.
- search something for something I searched the internet for recipes.
Extra Examples
- You can also search online for a job.
- I was searching this history website for something about Alexander the Great.
- It's a software tool for searching documents and retrieving information.
- Search the index to find the address of the data file.
[transitive] (especially of the police) to examine somebody’s clothes, their pockets, etc. in order to find something that they may be hiding
- search somebody Visitors are regularly searched as they enter the building.
- search somebody for something The youths were arrested and searched for anything that would incriminate them.
see also strip-search
[intransitive] search (for something) to think carefully about something, especially in order to find the answer to a problem
- He searched desperately for something to say.
- We are continually searching for ways to cut costs.
- She paused, searching for the right word.
- They were still searching for answers about what had happened.
see also soul-searching