Meta Search Engine

What Does Meta Search Engine Mean?

A meta search engine is a type of search engine that gives results based on a combination of results from other search engine databases. It specializes in concatenating databases from a variety of search engines and linking search results to relevant sources.

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A meta search engine is also known as a metasearch engine.

Techopedia Explains Meta Search Engine

Meta search engines use a complex algorithm that allows virtual databases to be generated on the fly. A virtual database “virtually” mirrors the physical database results of other search engines.

All search result information and data are listed in a virtual database, and searches may be concentrated according to varied criteria. Thus, no two meta search engines are alike because they all operate with different criteria, such as news sites and newsgroups, depending on the algorithm designed to perform specified search functions.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…