Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - search

~1 n 1 C usually singular an attempt to find someone or something + for  (Bad weather is hampering the search for survivors) in search of (=looking for)  (Mario went off in search of some matches. | call off a search (=stop looking for someone or something) | carry out a search)  (Security guards will be carrying out a search of the premises. | house-to-house search (=one that involves searching every house or building in an area) | strip search (=an official search in which you must take off all of your clothes)) 2 an attempt to find a solution to a problem or an explanation for something  (the search for the meaning of life) 3 search and rescue the process of searching for someone who is lost and who may need medical help, for example in the mountains or at sea ~2 v 1 »LOOK FOR« to spend time looking for someone or something  (Rescue workers searched all night in the hope of finding more survivors.) + for  (a mother bird searching for food) search sth for sth  (Detectives are out searching the yard for clues | search through sth (=look for something among papers in a drawer etc) | search in/under/around etc)  ("Two beers, please," Patricia ordered, searching in her purse.) 2 »PERSON« to look in someone's pockets, clothes etc in order to find something, especially drugs or weapons  (Visitors to the prison are thoroughly searched before they are allowed in.) 3 »SOLUTION/EXPLANATION ETC« to try to find a solution to a problem, an explanation for something etc + for  (Scientists are still searching for a cure for the disease.) 4 Search me! spoken used to tell someone that you do not know the answer to a question  ("So where's she gone tonight then?" "Search me!") 5 »EXAMINE« to examine something very carefully in order to find something out  (Anya searched his face anxiously.) search sth out phr v to find or discover something by searching  (We were too tired to search out extra blankets.)