What does "google" mean?
An Internet search, such as one performed on the Google search engine.
/ˈɡuː.ɡəl/ name, noun, num, verb, slang
name, noun, num, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An Internet search, such as one performed on the Google search engine.
- Grammar: google is listed as name, noun, num, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: browse, corporation, google query, google search.
- Useful contrasts: ignore, local business, manual search.
- Usage evidence: Argleton is a town in West Lancashire, England which exists only on Google maps.
How to use "google"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "google" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "google" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "google" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "google" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "google" is acting as name, noun, num, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "browse" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "google", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An Internet search, such as one performed on the Google search engine. Internet, informal
"Each night I allowed myself one desultory google before leaping to my feet for a lamplit walk around the neighbourhood."
- 2 A match obtained by a query in the Google search engine. Internet, dated, informal
"The word oceanfront has 64,300,000 googles, so I think it must be a real word."
Verb
- 1 To bowl (a cricket ball) so that it performs a googly (“a ball by a leg-break bowler that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery”). transitive
- 2 To search for (something) on the Internet using the Google search engine. Internet, informal, transitive
"Tom googles all of his prospective girlfriends."
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of google. alt-of
"Google Damien and you will find a director of music videos and commercials. Google Cayce and you will find “coolhunter,” and if you look closely you may see it suggested that she is a “sensitive” of some kind, a dowser in the world of global marketing."
- 4 search the internet (for information) using the Google search engine wordnet
- 5 Of a bowler: to bowl or deliver a googly. intransitive
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To search for (something) on the Internet using any comprehensive search engine. Internet, broadly, informal, transitive
"I googled him but there were no references to him on the Internet."
- 7 Of a cricket ball: to move as in a googly. intransitive
- 8 To be locatable in a search of the Internet. Internet, informal, intransitive
"His name googles."
Numeral
- 1 Misspelling of googol. Internet, alt-of, informal, misspelling
Proper Noun
- 1 A particular Internet company.
"Google is one of several Big Tech firms that has made an aggressive push into gaming in recent years, along with Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL) and Facebook (FB)."
- 2 Google Search, a search engine operated by the company of the same name; the most popular search engine and most-visited website worldwide.
"He did some research on Google for his history project."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Argleton is a town in West Lancashire, England which exists only on Google maps."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "google"?
Common synonyms include: browse, corporation, google query, google search, internet firm, multinational corporation.
How do you use "google" in a sentence?
Argleton is a town in West Lancashire, England which exists only on Google maps.
How do you pronounce "google"?
Pronounced /ˈɡuː.ɡəl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Back-formation from googly + -le (frequentative suffix (indicating continuousness or repetition) forming verbs).
Etymology 2
From Google (“search engine operated by Google LLC”).
Etymology 3
See googol.
Etymology 4
An accidental misspelling of googol (“one followed by a hundred zeros”), alluding to the site's purpose of providing easy access to vast amounts of information.