browse

/braʊz/

/braʊz/

Other forms: browsing; browsed; browses

To browse is to look casually for whatever catches your eye, rather than searching for something specific. Window shopping and scanning the newspaper for interesting headlines are forms of browsing.

You can browse in a store, a library, or browse the Internet (with — what else? — an Internet "browser"). When it comes to reading material, browse means the same as peruse. Back in the 16th century, though, this verb was used in reference to animals feeding on, or grazing on, the buds of trees.

Definitions of browse

1. verb

   feed as in a meadow or pasture
   synonyms: crop, graze, pasture, range

   range

   let eat

   crop, graze, pasture

   let feed in a field or pasture or meadow

   type of:

   eat, feed

   take in food; used of animals only
2. verb

   eat lightly, try different dishes
   “There was so much food at the party that we quickly got sated just by browsing”

   synonyms: graze

   type of:

   nosh, snack

   eat a snack; eat lightly
3. noun

   the act of feeding by continual nibbling
   synonyms: browsing

   type of:

   eating, feeding

   the act of consuming food
4. noun

   vegetation (such as young shoots, twigs, and leaves) that is suitable for animals to eat
   “a deer needs to eat twenty pounds of browse every day”

   type of:

   botany, flora, vegetation

   all the plant life in a particular region or period
5. verb

   look around casually and randomly, without seeking anything in particular
   “browse a computer directory”

   synonyms: surf

   shop

   shop around; not necessarily buying

   type of:

   look for, search, seek

   try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
6. verb

   scan, look through, or look for information on the internet
   type of:

   surf

   look around casually and randomly, without seeking anything in particular
7. verb

   shop around; not necessarily buying
   “I don't need help, I'm just browsing”

   synonyms: shop

   surf

   look around casually and randomly, without seeking anything in particular

   types:

   comparison-shop

   compare prices for a given item

   antique

   shop for antiques

   window-shop

   examine the shop windows; shop with the eyes only

   type of:

   look for, search, seek

   try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
8. noun

   reading superficially or at random
   synonyms: browsing

   type of:

   reading

   the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message