1. A computer-implemented method of inferring user intent in a search input based on inferring a meaning in a portion of the search input in a content providing system having one or more processors, the method comprising: providing access to a set of content items, each of the content items being associated with metadata that describes the corresponding content item, and each of the content items being associated with at least one information domain; receiving search input from the user at one or more of the processors, the search input being intended by the user to identify at least one desired content item; determining by one or more of the processors at least one information domain relevant to the search input from the user; determining by one or more of the processors that at least a portion of the search input contains a phrase of at least one word having a particular meaning in the information domain determined to be relevant to the search input; inferring by one or more of the processors a possible particular meaning for the phrase based on the search input and the information domain determined to be relevant to the search input; and selecting by one or more of the processors at least one content item from the set of content items based on comparing at least a portion of the search input and the possible particular meaning for the phase with the metadata associated with the content items.