Define the role of a search engine on the internet.

A search engine is a tool that helps users find specific information on the internet by indexing and cataloging web pages. When a user enters a search query, the search engine looks through its index, ranks the results based on relevance and quality, and then displays links to the most relevant webpages. Popular search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo provide users with quick access to vast amounts of data, helping them find websites, images, videos, news, and much more.