Durchkämmen

Durchkämmen is a German verb meaning to search through something thoroughly or to comb through in a systematic and extensive way. The image is literal: combing through hair or fur, extended figuratively to inspecting spaces, documents, data, or other material with intense scrutiny. It is a separable verb; in standard present tense you would say jemanden durchs Kämmen, such as “das Gelände wird durchkämmt.”

The term is used in a variety of contexts. In law enforcement and security, it refers to a comprehensive search of an area to uncover evidence or persons, as in “Das Gebiet wurde gründlich durchkämmt.” In research and data work, it describes the meticulous screening of information or datasets, for example “Die Analysten kämmen den Datensatz nach relevanten Mustern durch.” In journalism or investigations, it can convey a thorough review of documents or records to extract details or corroborate facts. In everyday language it can also describe careful scanning of a text or a pile of materials for specific information.

Connotation and nuance: durchkämmen implies completeness and methodical effort, often time-consuming and labor-intensive. It is slightly more emphatic than synonyms like durchsehen (to look through) or durchforsten (to search through more broadly), which can be less focused on exhaustiveness.

Typical collocations include gründlich durchkämmen, das Gelände, den Bericht, die Datenbank durchkämmen, Spuren durchsuchen. The term remains neutral, suitable for descriptive and factual writing.