3 N‑COUNT A search is an attempt to find something or someone by looking for them carefully. □ There was no chance of him being found alive and the search was abandoned. □ [+ for ] Egypt has said there is no time to lose in the search for a Middle East settlement.
4 VERB If a police officer or someone else in authority searches you, they look carefully to see whether you have something hidden on you. □ [V n] The man took her suitcase from her and then searched her. □ [V n + for ] His first task was to search them for weapons.
5 VERB If you search for information on a computer, you give the computer an instruction to find that information. [COMPUTING ] □ [V + for ] You can use a directory service to search for people on the internet. ● N‑COUNT Search is also a noun. □ [+ of ] He was doing a computer search of local news articles.
6 → see also searching , strip-search
7 PHRASE If you go in search of something or someone, you try to find them. □ Miserable, and unexpectedly lonely, she went in search of Jean-Paul. □ The law already denies entry to people in search of better economic opportunities.
8 CONVENTION You say ' search me ' when someone asks you a question and you want to emphasize that you do not know the answer. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ]
▸ search out PHRASAL VERB If you search something out , you keep looking for it until you find it. □ [V P n] Traditional Spanish food is delicious and its specialities are worth searching out. □ [V n P ] Many people want jobs. They try to search them out every day.
sea rch en|gine (search engines ) N‑COUNT A search engine is a computer program that searches for documents containing a particular word or words on the internet. [COMPUTING ]
search|er /sɜː r tʃə r / (searchers )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Searchers are people who are looking for someone or something that is missing. □ Searchers have found three mountain climbers missing since Saturday.
2 N‑COUNT A searcher is someone who is trying to find something such as the truth or the answer to a problem. □ [+ after/for ] He's not a real searcher after truth.
search|ing /sɜː r tʃ I ŋ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A searching question or look is intended to discover the truth about something. □ They asked her some searching questions on moral philosophy and logic.
2 → see also soul-searching
search|light /sɜː r tʃla I t/ (searchlights ) N‑COUNT A searchlight is a large powerful light that can be turned to shine a long way in any direction.
sea rch par|ty (search parties ) N‑COUNT A search party is an organized group of people who are searching for someone who is missing.
sea rch war|rant (search warrants ) N‑COUNT A search warrant is a special document that gives the police permission to search a house or other building. □ Officers armed with a search warrant entered the flat.
sear|ing /s I ə r I ŋ/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Searing is used to indicate that something such as pain or heat is very intense. □ She woke to feel a searing pain in her feet.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A searing speech or piece of writing is very critical. □ …searing criticism.
sea|scape /siː ske I p/ (seascapes ) N‑COUNT A seascape is a painting or photograph of a scene at sea.
sea|shell /siː ʃel/ (seashells ) also sea shell N‑COUNT [usu pl] Seashells are the empty shells of small sea creatures.
sea|shore /siː ʃɔː r / (seashores ) N‑COUNT The seashore is the part of a coast where the land slopes down into the sea. □ She takes her inspiration from shells and stones she finds on the seashore.
sea|sick /siː s I k/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is seasick when they are travelling in a boat, they vomit or feel sick because of the way the boat is moving. □ It was quite rough at times, and she was seasick. ● sea|sick|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He was very prone to seasickness and already felt queasy.
sea|side /siː sa I d/ N‑SING [N n] You can refer to an area that is close to the sea, especially one where people go for their holidays, as the seaside . □ I went to spend a few days at the seaside. □ The town was Redcar, a seaside resort on the Cleveland coast.
sea|son ◆◆◆ /siː z ə n/ (seasons , seasoning , seasoned )
1 N‑COUNT The seasons are the main periods into which a year can be divided and which each have their own typical weather conditions. □ Autumn's my favourite season. □ …the only region of Brazil where all four seasons are clearly defined. □ …the rainy season.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can use season to refer to the period during each year when a particular activity or event takes place. For example, the planting season is the period when a particular plant or crop is planted. □ …birds arriving for the breeding season.
3 N‑COUNT [n N , oft in/out of N ] You can use season to refer to the period when a particular fruit, vegetable, or other food is ready for eating and is widely available. □ The plum season is about to begin. □ Now British asparagus is in season.
4 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can use season to refer to a fixed period during each year when a particular sport is played. □ …the baseball season. □ It is his first race this season.
5 N‑COUNT A season is a period in which a play or show, or a series of plays or shows, is performed in one place. □ …a season of three new plays.