Adjacent Words

Searching definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SEARCHING, pp. serch'ing.
1. Looking into or over; exploring; examining; inquiring; seeking; investigating.
2. a. Penetrating; trying; close; as a searching discourse.
SEARCHING, n. search'ing. Exanination; severe inquisition. Judges 5.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation; "a probing inquiry"; "a searching investigation of their past dealings" [syn: inquisitory, probing, searching]
2: having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect; "searching insights"; "trenchant criticism" [syn: searching, trenchant]
3: exploring thoroughly

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Search Search, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Searched; p. pr. & vb. n. Searching.] [OE. serchen, cerchen, OF. cerchier, F. chercher, L. circare to go about, fr. L. circum, circa, around. See Circle.] 1. To look over or through, for the purpose of finding something; to examine; to explore; as, to search the city. ``Search the Scriptures.'' --John v. 39. They are come to search the house. --Shak. Search me, O God, and know my heart. --Ps. cxxxix. 23. 2. To inquire after; to look for; to seek. I will both search my sheep, and seek them out. --Ezek. xxxiv. 11. Enough is left besides to search and know. --Milton. 3. To examine or explore by feeling with an instrument; to probe; as, to search a wound. 4. To examine; to try; to put to the test. To search out, to seek till found; to find by seeking; as, to search out truth. Syn: To explore; examine; scrutinize; seek; investigate; pry into; inquire.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Searching Search"ing, a. Exploring thoroughly; scrutinizing; penetrating; trying; as, a searching discourse; a searching eye. ``Piercing, searching, biting, cold.'' --Dickens. -- Search"ing*ly, adv. -- Search"ing*ness, n.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

A searching question or look is intended to discover the truth about something. They asked her some searching questions on moral philosophy and logic. ADJ: usu ADJ n see also soul-searching

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Penetrating, trying, close, keen. 2. Exploring, examining, inquiring, seeking, investigating, probing.

Moby Thesaurus

chase, cynegetic, delving, digging, dogging, domiciliary visit, dragnet, exploration, fishing, follow, follow-up, following, forage, frisk, halieutic, house-search, hue and cry, hunt, hunting, in full cry, in hot pursuit, in pursuit, in search of, loaded for bear, looking for, nosy, out for, out for bear, perquisition, piscatorial, piscatory, poking, posse, probe, probing, prosecution, prying, pursuance, pursuant, pursuing, pursuit, quest, questing, ransacking, rummage, search, search party, search warrant, search-and-destroy operation, seeking, shadowing, stalk, stalking, still hunt, tracking, tracking down, trailing, turning over