research

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
research /rɪˈsəːtʃ, ˈriːsəːtʃ/

▶noun the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. ▶verb carry out research into.

■ use research to discover or verify information presented in (a book, programme, etc.).

– derivatives
researchable adjective,
researcher noun.

– origin C16: from obs. Fr. recerche (n.), recercher (v.), from OFr. re- (expressing intensive force) + cerchier ‘to search’.

usage: The traditional pronunciation in British English puts the stress on the second syllable, -search. In US English the stress comes on the re-. The US pronunciation is becoming more common in British English and, while some traditionalists view it as incorrect, it is now generally accepted as a standard variant in British English.