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

---

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

Google is also part of that fight, he said, as the dominant search engine incorporates more AI features into its platform.

From MarketWatch

Data collected by the Interactive Advertising Bureau found that AI now ranks as the second-most influential shopping source, ahead of retailers’ websites and apps and behind only search engines.

From Los Angeles Times

The Court’s decision could have broader implications for search engines, app stores, cloud providers and online retailers.

From The Wall Street Journal

"With most brands - like Adidas and Nike - they have a code and if you type it into a search engine, it will come up with a picture of that shirt," he says.

From BBC

For retailers, advertisers, and investors, this marks the start of a fundamental shift away from traditional search engines—one that will reroute consumer spend and create winners and losers during the holiday season and beyond.

From Barron's