Albert if you have Windows 7 (perhaps it works with XP too?) you can highlight the words and by right clicking it the pop up menu offers the option to search in Google and if clicked. It does so in a new tab. Does for me at least, using Firefox.

When I hi-lite and right click as owbist suggests I only get options for Wikipedia and Answers.com. These do open in a new tab as is ideal.

The 'manage search engines' field in my navigate toolbar has options for Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, Ebay, Wikipedia and others.

Is there some way to add more options the the hi-light and click right feature? Or, is there some way to get the 'manage search engines' to open in a new tab?

I found a place in Mozillazine that said alt-enter would open it in a new tab but that don't work for me. I found where someone else said middle-click would open in a new tab but that don't work for me.

Doesn't help you, but alt-enter works for me.

I just experimented the windows standard way ...with firefox 11.02 or whatever is todays version of the Standard Channel version.

Copy & Paste some page words into the search box, hold down the CTRL key while clicking the search magnifier icon ... opens the search words in a new tab.

Sorry, I also can't help you Albert_135 but thanks for asking the question and a big thank you for your response Owbist. Once again I've learned something new from the forum

My Win XP with FF 11.0 responds just as Owbist's Win 7 does: highlight the word, right click, click on option to search in Google and a new tab opens.

Computer Help is my first go-to site of each day. No wonder. Thanks to all.

Both my FF 11.x and FF 8.x behave as mikie describes above at 21:34 hrs yesterday.

When I hi-lite and right click as owbist describes I only get Wikipedia (And Answers.com which I downloaded to the one machine.) and not Google.

So, somewhere out there is a way to add Google to the right click option and to turn on the alt-enter option for the search bar.

Someone, somewhere else said that I need to double click something in about:config. I haven't gone there yet as I am waiting for my IT person, aka spouse, to take an interest in my petty problem.

When I hi-lite and right click as owbist describes I only get Wikipedia (And Answers.com which I downloaded to the one machine.) and not Google.

The top search input box if set to wikipedia search, will dictate the hightlighted word default search is also wikipedia.

So if you want to use Google search on rightclicked words, set that search box to google.

Sounds like its presently set to wikipedia as default search.

those of you with firefox that opens the option to search in google and other search options you may have that due to an add on I know I do. I have used the add on for that for years. IT is called term blaster.
termBlaster 2.0.5

termBlaster 2.0.5 says ''Not available for Firefox 11.0"

Pico-rant: this is one of my quarrels with frequent new versions of Firefox, new versions do not support add-ons, sometimes.