Trivia Time

Which TV show is credited with being the first to use google as a verb?

Test Your Knowledge

Google

American  

[goo-guhl] / ˈgu gəl /

Trademark.

1. the brand name for a leading internet search engine, founded in 1998.

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verb (used with object)

Googled, Googling

1. (often lowercase) to search the internet for information about (a person, topic, etc.).

   We googled the new applicant to check her background.

verb (used without object)

Googled, Googling

1. (often lowercase) to use a search engine such as Google to find information, a website address, etc., on the internet.

Google British  

/ ˈɡuːɡəl /

noun

1. a popular search engine on the internet

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verb

1. to search for (something on the internet) using a search engine

2. to check (the credentials of someone) by searching for websites containing his or her name

Etymology

Origin of Google

First recorded in 1998; after mathematical term googol

Explanation

To google is to use an online search engine to find some piece of information. You might google your favorite author to find out what other books she's written. Searching the Internet for answers to questions, details about people, map directions, and other information is a common activity for most of us, and since the 1990s, most of us have come to use the verb google to describe it. The verb comes from the Google search engine, first active in 1997, although until about 2000 it was mostly used in the phrase "Do a google on."

Example Sentences

He compares it to having detailed Google Maps information while planning a route.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

Like many people, I own an ecosystem of Apple hardware, but I spend more time in Google software such as Gmail and Google Photos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Nvidia’s shares fall but Apple is accessing hardware through Google Cloud, not direct purchase.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

And Apple says only the relevant information is sent to the cloud, then immediately deleted—neither Apple nor Google can view the conversations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Dr. Atchley, clearly anxious, borrows a cell phone and taps the right location into the mobile Google search engine.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel