I understand the effective use of quotation marks in search engines. 
For example, if you want to search for information on chemical
reactions of carbon and nitrate, you wouldn't type:

chemical reaction carbon nitrate

Instead, you might type something like:

"chemical reaction" "carbon and nitrate"

Also, I can find a definition for a specific term by typing:

define:[term]

What I need is a comprehensive list of search engine short cuts that
work with Google.  If you have info on other major search engines that
material will also be appreciated.  Thanks

You can find the list of shortcuts for Google here:

://www.google.com/help/operators.html
://www.google.com/help/refinesearch.html

This is an invaluable tool for anyone wishing to improve their search technique.

A comprehensive list for most search engine can be found here:

http://searchenginewatch.com/facts/article.php/2155981

For specific search engines:

http://www.alltheweb.com/help/faqs/query_language
http://www.altavista.com/help/search/syntax
http://www.metacrawler.com/info.metac/search/help/tips.htm
http://searchenginewatch.com/facts/index.php

I hope these answers are helpful for you in refining your search
technique.  They were invaluable to me when I was trying to improve
(especially the SearchEngineWatch tutorial).

If you have any questions or queries please ask for clarification
before rating the answer.

This information is just what I'm looking for.  Thank you very much, and God bless.

Sorry Try that again

Check the following Web Site http://library.albany.edu/internet/boolean.html

Kind Regards

Ross