seek

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See also sek

Contents

English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Middle English seken (also sechen), from Old English sēċan (to seek; try to find, to look for, make search for; try to get; strive to effect, aim at, strive after; seek after, try to provide for; try to find out by investigation or examination; enquire about; try to learn by asking, ask, ask for, inquire; look to for, expect from; visit, go to; resort to; go, move, proceed; approach, attain to; attack, pursue, follow), with influence from Old Norse sœkja, whence the hard /k/ sound (compare beseech); both from Proto-Germanic *sōkijaną (to seek) (compare West Frisian sykje, Low German söken, Dutch zoeken, German suchen, Danish søge). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- (to seek out).

Pronunciation [edit]

Verb [edit]

seek (third-person singular simple present seeks, present participle seeking, simple past and past participle sought)

  1. (transitive) To try to find, to look for, to search.
    I seek wisdom.
  2. (transitive) To inquire for; to ask for; to solicit; to beseech.
    • 1960, Lobsang Rampa, The Rampa Story:
      “My, my! It is indeed a long way yet, look you!” said the pleasant woman of whom I sought directions.
  3. (transitive) To try to acquire or gain; to strive after; to aim at.
  4. (intransitive, obsolete) To go, move, travel (in a given direction).
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book V:
      Ryght so he sought [...] towarde Sandewyche where he founde before hym many galyard knyghtes [...].

Quotations [edit]

For more examples of usage of this term, see the citations page.

Synonyms [edit]

Derived terms [edit]

Related terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

Anagrams [edit]