untersuchen

Meaning

to examine, investigate (inspect or study carefully in order to reach a conclusion)

Hyphenated as

un‧ter‧su‧chen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʊntərˈzuːxən/

Etymology

First attested in the 15th century as undersuochen. This form suggests it already existed in Middle High German. The existence of an unattested Old High German form *untarsuohhen is probable, compare Old Saxon undarsōkian (whence Low German ünnersöken), Old Dutch undersuoken (whence Dutch onderzoeken), and Old English undersecan (whence English underseek), all from Proto-West Germanic *undersōkijan (literally “to search under or between”). Equivalent to unter- + suchen.

Sentences

Um Insekten im Labor zu untersuchen , betäubt man sie vorübergehend mit Kohlenstoffdioxid .

To examine insects in the laboratory, they are temporarily stunned with carbon dioxide.