search engine

American  

[surch en-juhn] / ˈsɜrtʃ ˌɛn dʒən /

noun

Digital Technology.

1. a computer program that searches documents, especially on the World Wide Web, for a specified word or words and provides a list of documents in which they are found.

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search engine British  

noun

1. computing a service provided on the internet enabling users to search for items of interest

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search engine Cultural  

1. Web sites or software that search the Internet for documents that contain a key word, phrase, or subject that is specified by the user to the search engine. Each engine has its own method of searching for information.

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Etymology

Origin of search engine

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

AI visitors are much more likely to buy than search engine visitors, Pickup says.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Through methods like search engine optimization and other nifty page-ranking subterfuge, this nonverified content climbs to the top of search results and people’s consciousness.

From Slate • Mar. 28, 2026

CoreWeave jumps after announcing a multi-year partnership with AI search engine Perplexity.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

Learn how to use AI “seriously,” not as a search engine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Regan yelled after me, but I ignored her as I quickly typed a few key words into the computer’s state-of-the-art history search engine.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin