This is the 844th most frequent Japanese word.
探し
"探し" means "search" or "looking for."
Here, '探し' is part of the verb 探しています, stemming from '探す' (to search), showing the action of looking for an item.
友人のプレゼントを探しています。
I am searching for a gift for my friend.
In this sentence, '探し' is connected to '続けています', highlighting an ongoing process of searching.
迷い猫を探し続けています。
I am continuing to search for the lost cat.
The usage of '探し中' indicates an active pursuit of finding an occupation, combining '探し' with '中' (during/in progress).