searchableadj.
/ˈsəːtʃəbl/, U.S. /ˈsərtʃəb(ə)l/ 1. Capable of being searched; that can be investigated or discovered by searching.Now usually in the context of computational searching of databases, websites, etc.: see sense 2.
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the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > [adjective] > capable of being searched
searchable1558
1558 Bp. T. Watson Holsome Doctr. Seuen Sacramentes viii. f. xlv Otherwyse the maner of it is not searcheable.
1588 J. Harvey Discoursiue Probl. conc. Prophesies 76 Fore-knowledge of future things and euents, inquirable by legitimate skill, or otherwise searchable by assured experience.
1683 W. Salmon Doron Medicum iii. 647 This and such like specificks are not searchable whilst in their body.
1827–44 N. P. Willis Starlight 8 The faded West looks deep, as if its blue Were searchable.
1924 H. G. Jenkins Bindles on Rocks i. 19 Bindle spent the next half-hour in searching everything that was searchable, even down to the dustbin.
2014 @ozarktabernacle 3 Aug. in twitter.com (accessed 20 May 2019) A perfect heart towards God is a searchable heart. You want your relationship with God to grow immensely? Have a searchable heart.
2. spec. with reference to the computational searching of databases, websites, etc.
a. Of an item: that can be located on a digital database or the internet by using a search engine or similar function.In quot. 1954 with reference to automated searches on data stored in punched cards (cf. punched card n. at punched adj.1 Compounds), an early form of digital data processing.
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1954 Amer. Documentation 5 93/1 An operation very similar to typing suffices to render the index entries immediately searchable by machine.
1993 CD-ROM Professional July 186/2 Items with Greek or phonetic characters will display correctly on the screen..and are searchable by adjusting the Keyboard menu.
2016 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 20 June When you post something really damaging..about someone online, it's searchable and seeable.
b. Of a digital database, website, etc.: on which information can be found using a search engine or similar function.
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1960 Sci. Amer. Mar. 52 (advt.) With the G-15, as standard equipment, you have a fully alphanumeric typewriter, a paper tape punch, and a searchable high-speed photo-electric paper tape reader.
1996 PR Newswire (Nexis) 27 Feb. Toro, the leader in lawn and yard care products, is the first in its category to employ a searchable website.
2019 Lethbridge (Alberta) Herald (Nexis) 8 Apr. (Final ed.) (Business & Agriculture section) a5 Facebook launched a searchable database that provides details on political ads it runs.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2020; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1558