search engine

American  

[surch en-juhn] / ˈsɜrtʃ ˌɛn dʒən /

noun

Digital Technology.

• search engines
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• search engines
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of search engine

First recorded in 1990–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

search engine

Earlier this month, it launched a series of attacks on Yandex, Russia's largest search engine, that led to service disruptions.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

The search engine juggernaut’s ubiquitous presence in American classrooms through Chromebooks and its software partnerships with schools have provided a critical launchpad for its AI tools to reach kids.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

There was the failed search engine, the closed charity, the cheap furniture line and the mortgage company launched right before the housing bubble burst.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

The Beijing-based search engine provider, sometimes called China's Google, has for years heralded the potential of AI in the country.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

“It got a lot better after Jessie fiddled with it,” Angie said, pulling up the Internet search engine, which opened at once.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

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