browse

The word “browse” means to look through something casually, without a specific goal in mind. In plain terms, to look around casually — through a shop, a website, or (for animals) through leaves and shrubs — without a fixed goal.

“Browse” is pronounced browz (/bɹaʊz/ in IPA).

Here is “browse” used in a sentence: “She liked to browse the shelves of the second-hand bookshop.”

“Browse” is a verb.

The word “browse” comes from Old French. From Old French brouster, "to nibble buds and shoots" — the original sense was about animals grazing, and the casual "look around" meaning developed from that image of sampling a little here and there.

“Browse” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Browse” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to look through something casually, without a specific goal in mind.

"Browse" means to look through something casually without a specific goal in mind, while "search" implies looking for something particular. Browsing a website is open-ended exploration, whereas searching targets a specific item or answer.

They are closely related and often used interchangeably for casual internet use, but "browse" more precisely describes looking through content without a fixed goal, which fits well with online window-shopping or reading. "Surf" is a more informal, colloquial equivalent for the same casual activity.

No. "Browse" also has a separate sense used for animals, meaning to feed on leaves, shoots, or shrubs, as deer or goats do. This is distinct from the everyday sense of casually looking through websites or shop items.