browser

American  

[brou-zer] / ˈbraʊ zər /

noun

browsers plural

1. a person or thing that browses.

2. Digital Technology. a software program that allows the user to find and read encoded documents in a form suitable for display, especially such a program for use on the internet.

   You may need to pause internet security features and refresh the page in your web browser to play the embedded videos.

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browser British  

/ ˈbraʊzə /

noun

1. a person or animal that browses

2. computing a software package that enables a user to find and read hypertext files, esp on the Internet

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browser Scientific  

/ brou′zər /

1. A program that accesses and displays files and other data available on the Internet and other networks. Entering a website's URL in the address window of a browser will bring up that website in the browser's main window.

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browser Cultural  

1. See Web browser.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonbrowser
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• browsers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of browser

browse ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. ); browser def. 1 was first recorded in 1680–90, and browser def. 2 in 1980–85

Explanation

A browser is a looker: either a program that lets you surf the Internet or a person in a store who just looks around without buying. This is a word that has to do with looking around, otherwise known as browsing. You probably use web browsers, which allow you to see websites on a computer. But you could also be a browser if you go to a store and just look around. Being a browser is a good way to kill time, but as soon as you make a purchase, you've gone from being a browser to being a customer.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

browser browsers

It continues: “Don’t search for or use Robinhood phone numbers through an internet browser because they potentially are scams. Many phone support scams direct you to call a fake Robinhood customer service number.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

It alleged Google pressured phone makers using Android to pre-install its search engine and Google Chrome browser -- essentially shutting out rivals.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Sitting in the waiting room, mentally preparing for an MRI, Maxine opens a browser and searches, “BREAST CANCER.”

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

Doerr’s timeline starts in 1980 with the personal computer and microchip revolution, followed by the browser and the internet, the iPhone and cloud computing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

So I went down and spoke to Doerr and Jim Clark, and I began using the beta version of the Mosaic browser.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

But it meant no connected devices, emails or web browsers.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

In order to be useful, agents must be granted access to private data, web browsers, email, and other external communications.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

I tried different browsers, different WiFi networks and restarted it.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026

Anthropic said its new AI model has found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities in major operating systems and web browsers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026

Many, especially the baleen whales, are placid browsers, straining through vast volumes of ocean for the small animals on which they graze; others eat fish and krill.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan