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Synonyms

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.


search engine British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.


Etymology

Origin of search engine

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That stops us from having to pause in our work and get on another application or search engine to find something.

From Los Angeles Times

The launch of ChatGPT in 2022 stoked fears at Alphabet that its Google search engine would lose significant traffic to chatbots, and the company was slow to launch competitive AI models.

From The Wall Street Journal

Earlier this month, Baidu, the operator of China's top search engine, said its AI chip unit Kunlunxin has filed a listing application in Hong Kong.

From Barron's

The following year, he declared that the company known to consumers for its search engine, maps and productivity tools was going all in on AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

Baidu is best known for its search engine, which has earned the company the title “China’s Google.”

From Barron's