Search Engines - General Tools

A highly selected list of my favourites in various categories

Query engines

Ask.com
Google: What can you say? I use Google Suggest for most basic searching. Always look into what Google is up to. Here's the same data, faster and simpler - goosh.org.
Open Directory: Started life as NewHoo. Like Yahoo (surprise!), but with categorization and site selection done by thousands of volunteer editors. Also available in various guises from various "gateways".
Windows Live Search: Better late than never. Has many subtypes, like Google, including Images and Maps.
Yahoo

Clusty: Metasearch result clustering, powered by Vivisimo.
Dogpile: Powered by InfoSpace. Shows results by engine, and includes meta-search for images, audio, multimedia, news, and shopping.
MetaCrawler: This is the original one. A reasonably complex advanced search form, preference setting, refine results.
Search Engine Colossus: Regional lists of search engines (200+ countries).
Searching the Internet: Subject Indexes and Search Engines: Excellent collection of annotated links by Linda Bertland (librarian), in categories. Frequently updated.

Digital Librarian: A Librarian's Choice of the Best of the Web: Not exactly a gateway, but a respected resource list, by Margaret Vail Anderson.
INFOMINE: The virtual reference collection for the University of California Libraries. Descriptive records use Library of Congress Subject Headings.
Internet Public Library: An educational initiative of the University of Michigan School of Information.
Intute: Foremerly Resource Discovery Network, Intute is now the starting point for access to quality-controlled subject gateways. Emphasis on higher education. Funded by various European agencies.
Librarian's Index to the Internet: A Berkeley Digital SunSITE, with resources organized by subject, searchable, and with good annotations.
Pinakes: A subject launchpad, hosted by Heriot-Watt University, Scotland.
Scout Report Archives: A searchable database of critical annotations collected from the venerable Scout Report. Catalogued records are browsable by LCSH.