ASL STEM

Definition

a computer program that searches through large amounts of text or other data. For example, a search engine for the WORLD WIDE WEB can be accessed at www.yahoo.com or at www.google.com. Depending on the search engine, there are generally several ways to search. If you type a phrase such as golden isles, the search engine will normally search for all documents that contain golden and/or isles, giving highest priority to those that contain both words. Some people pay large amounts of money to try to get their web sites listed on search engines. This is unnecessary because every search engine’s job is to find all possible web sites by itself, and major search engines gladly accept additional web addresses from anyone who wants to submit them. Search engine operators do not take kindly to attempts to manipulate the system by listing a web site dishonestly to generate more hits.

Source: Downing, Douglas, et al. Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms. 10th ed. New York, 2009. Print.