Reverse Dictionary: SEARCH

ADJECTIVES
► EXQUISITIVE eager to discover or learn; tending to search out, bent on searching out; curious → 1818 obs.
► INDAGACIOUS given to search or investigation; eager to investigate → 1653 obs.
► LATED searched for; found → Bk1902 Eng. dial.
► ON A MISSION in search of → 1980 US students’ sl.
► QUESTFUL full of questing or searching → 1869 rare
► TOSSED searched by the police → 1950s Amer. sl.

NOUNS
► ALL-POINTS a general alert, a search for a missing person → 1960s sl.
► BINGO a successful search → 2007 UK sl.  (Bk.)
► BODY SHAKE a shakedown of the body; a skin-search → Bk2006 US criminals’ sl.
► BOOTY CHECK a search of the rectum, as when police look for drugs → Bk2006 US sl.
► DACKER an official search → 1690 Sc.
► FANNING a search of a person, esp. for weapons → 1930s sl.
► FISHING EXPEDITION an exploratory search for facts → Bk2006 US sl.
► LAIT searching, search → c1460 obs.
► NOSE AROUND a search → 1987 sl.
► ONCE ► ONCE-OVER a search, as at customs → 1920s sl.
► PERREPTATION a creeping into every corner, a diligent searching → 1656 obs.
► PERSCRUTATION a thorough searching or investigation; careful scrutiny, examination → 1603
► POKE a searching, rummaging, or prying → 1992 colloq. 
► RAMP a search → 1980s Aust. sl.
► RANGE a thorough search → 1893 Sc.
► REEMISH a thorough search, accompanied with noise → Bk1904 Sc.
► SCRIMGE a thorough search → Bk1904 Sc.
► SCRIMMAGE a through, fussy, noisy search → Bk1904 Sc.
► SCRINGE a prying, an eager search; a thorough rummage; a gleaning → Bk1904 Sc.
► SCROUNGE a search, a hunt → 1910s sl.
► SKIN SHAKE a thorough search of a person’s body, including orifices → 1967 US sl.
► SPIN a search of a person or a place for stolen goods, illegal substances, etc. → 1970 UK police & prison sl.
► WORKING-OVER a search → 1920 sl.

NOUNS – PERSON
► DACKERER an official searcher under a sheriff’s warrant → 1920 Sc. 
► PERQUISITOR a thorough searcher → 1656 obs.
► QUEST a person employed in searching → 1604 obs.
► QUESTANT one who quests or searches → 1601 obs.
► QUESTRIST one who goes in quest of another → 1605 obs.
► SCRINGE a searcher; esp. a child or animal who searches out things not intended for him; a mean, miserly person → 1892 Sc.
► SPANIEL one who pries into or searches out something → 1562 

VERBS
► ARAB to search about → 1949 Amer. dial.
► BATHER to struggle; to go hither and thither in search of anything; to fuss about → Bk1898 Eng. dial.
► BEAT UP to search thoroughly → 1776 US 
► BESEECH to seek after, to search for, to try to get → c1200 obs.
► BUSK to go searching or seeking for something; to go from place to place → 1635 rare
► CALL to search out, to explore → 1810 Sc.
► CALL ABOUT to search for → Bk1898 Sc.
► DACKER 1. to search, examine → 1634 Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
2. to search a house or person for stolen goods; to search a house by official warrant → 1700 Sc.
► EVESTIGATE to seek out, to search after, to investigate → 1656 obs.
► EXPISCATE to ‘fish out’; to find out by scrutiny or inquiry; to search out; to discover by laborious investigation or strict examination → c1611
► FALL ABOUT to search around, to cast about → 1632 obs.
► FAN to conduct a search of a suspect’s clothes, possessions or premises → c1850 sl., orig. US
► FAND ► FOND to search a place, to examine a track → c1225 obs.
► FERRET ► FERRET OUT to search out; to pry into, to investigate → 1803 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► FURIE to search → 1290 obs.
► GROB to search or examine by the sense of feeling, as with the hand in a dark place; to grope, to probe → 1900 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► HAIK to search, to rummage, as in a drawer, etc. → 1956 Sc.
► HARKEN OUT to hunt out; to run down; to find by search → 1606 obs.
► HAUL to search or examine thoroughly → 1666 obs. rare
► HAVE A DANCE to have a hard search from place to place → Bk1900 Eng. dial.
► JACK to search → 1990s US sl.
► LAIT to look or search for; to seek, to try to find → 1300 obs.
► LAY to set watch or guard in a place; to search a place for → 1560 obs.
► LAY ABOUT to contrive, to plan, to take measures to do something; to look out or make a search for → a1618 obs.
► LAY OUT to make a search for; to look out for → 1624 obs.
► OFSECHE to seek after; to search for; to make a search → c1225 obs.
► PAUK ► PAWK to search, to look about with outstretched neck, to pry → 1893 Eng. dial.  
► PERQUIRE to search through, or make diligent search into; to inquire diligently into → 1597 obs. rare
► PERSCRUTE to search carefully; to scrutinize thoroughly → 1545 obs.
► POKE AROUND to examine or search, esp. in a dilatory way → 1809 Amer. sl.
► PUT THE PLAIN OVER SOMEONE to search → 1889 Sc. police usage
► QUAERITATE to inquire or search into → 1657 obs. rare
► RAKE 1. to make search or investigation; to poke into → 1637
2. to search a person → 1956 Sc.
► RAKE HELL to search exhaustively → 1542 obs.
► RAMACK to search, to ransack → 1953 Amer. dial.
► RAMSACK to ransack; to search through in an exhaustive, messy or destructive way; to rummage → 1837 Eng. & Amer. dial.
► RAMSHACK to ransack; to search through in an exhaustive, messy or destructive way; to rummage → 1901 Amer. dial.
► RAMSHACKLE to ransack, to search for closely; to plunder → 1802 Sc. & Eng. & Amer. dial. 
► RAMSHAG to ransack; to search through in an exhaustive, messy or destructive way; to rummage → 1959 Amer. dial.
► RANCEL 1. to search a house, etc. for stolen goods → 1602 obs.
2. to search for; to grope; to ransack → 1898 Sc.
► RANGE to search for thoroughly → 1824 Sc.
► RANSACK 1. to make thorough search → 1386
2. to search a person for something stolen or missing → 1250 obs.
► RANSACKLE to ransack, to search for closely → 1802 Eng. dial. 
► RANSEL to search throughout a parish for stolen or for insufficient goods; also, to inquire into every kind of misdemeanour → 1615 Sc.
► RANSHACKLE to ransack, to search for closely → 1621 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
► RATCH to search, to root about → 1968 Amer. dial.
► REEMISH ► REMISH to search thoroughly and noisily → Bk1904 Sc.
► REMBLE ► REMLE to search → Bk1904 Eng. dial.
► RIG to make a thorough search of a place, receptacle, etc. → 1565 obs.
► RIP to search; to rummage, esp. with a view to plunder → c1388 sl.
► SCOUT ABOUT to search and explore a place or area → 1886 UK sl.
► SCOUT AROUND to search and explore a place or area → 1886 UK sl.
► SCOVER to search; to discover; to ramble about ostentatiously → Bk1904 Eng. dial.
► SCRAM to search about for what can be picked up; to search with slight hope of success → 1895 Eng. dial.
► SCRIM to bustle about; to work with energy and success; to conduct a vigorous search for anything → Bk1904 Sc.
► SCRIMGE to search thoroughly; to go from place to place, esp. with the idea of searching → Bk1904 Sc.
► SCRIMMAGE to search thoroughly and noisily → Bk1904 Sc.
► SCRINGE to search carefully; to wander about turning over everything; to pry about; to glean → 1898 Sc.
► SCRUTATE to search out, to investigate → 1882 rare
► SHAKE DOWN to search a person or place → 1915 US sl.
► SIFT to search; to try → 1611 obs.
► SKIRMISH to search, to scout, to rummage; to hunt up, to search out → 1864 Amer. dial.
► SKIRMISH ABOUT to search, to scout, to rummage; to hunt up, to search out → 1878 Amer. dial.
► SKIRMISH AROUND to search, to scout, to rummage; to hunt up, to search out → 1907 Amer. dial.
► SKIRMISH UP to search, to scout, to rummage; to hunt up, to search out → 1935 Amer. dial.
► SKRIM to bustle about; to work with energy and success; to conduct a vigorous search for anything → Bk1904 Sc.
► SNOUT ABOUT ► SNOUT AROUND to search → 1960s sl.
► TAKE ON to stop and search → 1910s US police sl.
► THROUGHSEEK to search through; to search or examine thoroughly → 1050 obs.
► THRUM to search for in a confused manner; to bring out after much search; to handle overmuch → Bk1905 Sc.
► UMSEEK to search for → c1460 obs.
► UNDERGROPE to search into, to investigate; to learn → a1412 obs.
► VENT to search or seek for → 1574 obs.
► WAIT to search for → 1340-70 obs.
► WALE to rummage, to search about in, to grope through → 1869 Sc.