browse
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- pronunciation:
- braUz
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
browses, browsing, browsed |
| definition: |
When people browse, they look at lots of different things or pictures just for fun or relaxation, or just to spend some time while they're waiting.
While Mrs. Cox did her shopping at the grocery store, her friend browsed through the greeting cards.The shop was crowded but most people were just browsing and not thinking about buying anything.- similar words:
- shop
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| related words: |
roam |
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| derivation: |
browser (n.) |
Browse comes from a French word that means "a bud or sprout." In the 1400s, the English word "browse" meant "to graze." Grazing animals tend to nibble at the young, more tender parts of plants.
Browse was first used to mean "look through a book casually or slowly" in the 1800s. When one browses through a book, it is as though one is slowly eating or nibbling lightly.