Word
browse
US/ˈbɹaʊz/
UK/bɹˈaʊz/
Definitions
01to look through casually
B1 · Intermediate
v. to look through a shop, a book, or a collection of things without a specific plan.
v. to inspect goods or information casually and at leisure, often without a predetermined purchase or search goal.
“I spent an hour browsing through the old books in the corner of the shop.”
“While waiting for her appointment, she browsed through several lifestyle magazines in the reception area to pass the time.”
Antonyms
02to use the internet
B1 · Intermediate Computing
v. to look at different websites or pages on the internet.
v. to navigate through hyperlinked documents or web pages using a software application.
“He was browsing the web for a new pair of running shoes.”
“The software allows users to browse the internal database securely without needing to download large files to their local machines.”
03animals eating plants
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
v. when animals like deer or goats eat leaves, twigs, and high plants.
v. to feed on the tender shoots, twigs, and leaves of trees or shrubs rather than grass.
“We watched the deer browse on the low branches of the apple trees.”
“Overpopulation of the local deer herd has led them to browse heavily on young saplings, preventing the forest from regenerating naturally.”
Usage
Often distinguished from 'grazing', which refers specifically to eating grass.
04an act of looking
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a quick or casual look through something.
n. an instance of browsing through a collection of items or information.
“I had a quick browse through the catalogue but didn't see anything I liked.”
“A brief browse of the archives revealed several letters that had been previously overlooked by historians.”
05animal fodder
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical
n. young branches and leaves that animals eat.
n. the young shoots, twigs, and leaves of trees and shrubs that are suitable for animal feed.
“The farmer gathered fresh browse for the goats during the winter months.”
“The availability of high-quality browse is a critical factor in the survival of moose populations during deep-snow winters.”
Etymology
From Middle English browsen, from Old French brouster, broster (“to nibble off buds, sprouts, and bark; browse”), from brost (“a sprout, shoot, bud”), from a Germanic source, perhaps Frankish brust (“shoot, bud”), from Proto-Germanic brustiz (“bud, shoot”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to swell, sprout”). Cognate with Bavarian Bross, Brosst (“a bud”), Old Saxon brustian (“to sprout”). Doublet of brut, breast, and brush.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/browse