ricercar
noun
ri·cer·car ˌrē-(ˌ)chər-ˈkär 
variants or ricercare
ˌrē-(ˌ)chər-ˈkä-(ˌ)rā
plural ricercars or ricercari ˌrē-(ˌ)chər-ˈkä-(ˌ)rē
: any of various usually keyboard musical forms especially of the 16th and 17th centuries in either quasi-improvisatory toccata style or strict polyphonic fugal style
Word History
Etymology
Italian, from ricercare to seek again, seek out, from ri- re- (from Latin re-) + cercare to seek, from Late Latin circare to go about — more at search
First Known Use
1773, in the meaning defined above