The term browser was initially coined in 1845 to describe animals that consume high-growing plants, stemming from a now uncommon definition of the verb browse – “to eat buds and leaves”. By the 1860s, the term was figuratively applied to individuals searching for goods, and the modern computer-related definition emerged in 1982, based on the notion that using a browser involves searching for information. The verb browse originates from the Old French verb broster, which meant “to sprout”. This can be traced back to Proto-Germanic brustiz, signifying “shoot” or “bud”, and ultimately comes from Proto-Indo-European brews, meaning “to swell”. This same root gave rise to words like “brisket” (via Old Norse brjosk, “cartilage”) and “breast” (via Old English breost), due to their association with swelling. The usage of browse has been steadily increasing in literature over time, but browser quickly surpassed it in the 1990s, reaching its peak in the year 2000.
