<p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object) to go or look through (a place, area, etc.) carefully in order to find something missing or lost: They searched the woods for the missing child.</li><li>to look at or examine (a person, object, etc.) carefully in order to find something concealed: He searched the vase for signs of a crack.</li><li>to explore or examine in order to discover: They searched the hills for gold.</li><li>to look at, read, or examine (a record, writing, collection, repository, etc.) for information: to search a property title; He searched the courthouse for a record of the deed to the land.</li><li>to look at or beneath the superficial aspects of to discover a motive, reaction, feeling, basic truth, etc.: He searched her face for a clue to her true feelings.</li><li>to look into, question, or scrutinize: She searched her conscience.</li><li>(of natural elements) to pierce or penetrate: The sunlight searched the room's dark corners.</li><li>to uncover or find by examination or exploration (often followed by out): to search out all the facts.</li><li>Military. to fire artillery over (an area) with successive changes in gun elevation.</li><li>Digital Technology. to electronically retrieve data, web pages, database records, or other information from (files, databases, etc.) by typing relevant terms into a search engine or other search tool: Most of us have searched the internet for medical advice.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>the act of searching; careful examination or investigation: Her date with the guy she met online went badly, so her search for “Mr. Right” continues.</li><li>an instance of this: Did the search turn up any clues?</li><li>the practice, on the part of naval officers of a belligerent nation, of boarding and examining a suspected neutral vessel at sea in order to ascertain its true nationality and determine if it is carrying contraband: the right of visit and search.</li><li>Digital Technology. the act or process of electronically retrieving data, web pages, database records, or other information from files, databases, etc., as in Boolean search keyword search: A search of the article turned up two references to my company.</li></ul>