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

Earlier this year, the company partnered with Google to roll out Apple Foundation Models that will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

AI chip design companies, including Google and Nvidia, are using Intel as a backup manufacturer for advanced processors, a report says.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

Regulators around the world have begun to apply social media bans and other legislation that requires forms of age verification for companies such as Apple and Google.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Apple partnered with Google to help improve its AI features.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

I go back to my computer and use the mouse to click on the circle icon, and up pops Google, just like it did on Havana’s computer.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy