browse

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browse / brouz/ • v. [intr.] 1. survey objects casually, esp. goods for sale: he stopped to browse around a sporting goods store. ∎  scan through a book or magazine superficially to gain an impression of the contents: she browsed through the newspaper [tr.] patrons can browse the shelves of the library. ∎  [tr.] Comput. read or survey (data files), typically via a network. 2. (of an animal) feed on leaves, twigs, or other high-growing vegetation: they reach upward to browse on bushes. • n. 1. [in sing.] an act of casual looking or reading: the brochure is well worth a browse. 2. vegetation, such as twigs and young shoots, eaten by animals. DERIVATIVES: brows·a·ble adj.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
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browse To examine the contents of a large data set, especially when locating and retrieving information with a search strategy that cannot be predicted at the outset, or possibly with no search strategy at all. The term browser is used either to refer to a person who is browsing, or to the utility program that allows the user to locate and retrieve information from networked information services. See also gopher, World Wide Web.

A Dictionary of Computing JOHN DAINTITH
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browse sb. young shoots and twigs, cattlefodder; vb. crop and eat, feed on leaves, etc. XVI. ult. — early mod. F. broust (now brout) bud. young shoot, brouster (now brouter) crop. prob. of Gmc. orig.; but the loss of t in Eng. is difficult to account for.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD
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browse •arouse, blouse, browse, carouse, Cowes, dowse, drowse, espouse, house, Howes, rouse

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes