Ask Jeeves

Definition

An early search engine (launched 1997) that used natural language processing, allowing users to ask questions in full sentences rather than typing keywords; now known as Ask.com after Jeeves was phased out.

Example Usage

I used Ask Jeeves in high school to look up homework answers by typing 'What is the capital of France?' instead of searching 'capital France'.

Origin

Named after Jeeves, the fictional gentleman's personal assistant from P.G. Wodehouse's stories, evoking a helpful, knowledgeable servant.

Fun Fact

Ask Jeeves pioneered conversational search, a concept that wouldn't become mainstream again until AI chatbots emerged in the 2020s.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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