diff --git a/lib/polecat.rb b/lib/polecat.rb
index 4f5c672..40775cc 100644
--- a/lib/polecat.rb
+++ b/lib/polecat.rb
@@ -3,4 +3,6 @@ class Polecat
   require 'polecat/index_reader'
   require 'polecat/index_searcher'
   require 'polecat/document'
+  require 'polecat/query'
+  require 'polecat/term'
 end
diff --git a/lib/polecat/index_searcher.rb b/lib/polecat/index_searcher.rb
index 7ad0f7e..b9f0edd 100644
--- a/lib/polecat/index_searcher.rb
+++ b/lib/polecat/index_searcher.rb
@@ -35,10 +35,50 @@ class Polecat
       @reader.path
     end
 
+    # searches through all documents
+    #
+    # Run the query against the @default_field@ of every stored document to get
+    # a list of all matching documents.
+    # @param [String] query a String which get's matched against the documents
+    # @return [Array] a list of all matching documents
     def search query
       @reader.read.select do |doc|
-        doc.attributes.fetch(@default_field).fetch(:value) == query
+        #doc.attributes.fetch(@default_field).fetch(:value) == query
+        rs = []
+        query.terms.each do |term|
+          val = doc.attributes.fetch(term.field.to_sym).fetch(:value)
+          if compare val, term.operator, term.value
+            rs << true
+          end
+        end
+        if query.relation == :and
+          rs.count == query.terms.count
+        else
+          rs.empty?
+        end
       end
     end
+
+    # compare the document value with the searched value
+    #
+    # This compares the two values with the operator
+    # @return [Any] trueish for matches or falsey
+    # @private
+    def compare ival, op, tval
+      if op == :eq
+        if tval.class == Regexp
+          ival.match tval
+        else
+          ival == tval
+        end
+      elsif op == :gt
+        ival < tval
+      elsif op == :lt
+        ival > tval
+      else
+        false
+      end
+    end
+    private :compare
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/polecat/query.rb b/lib/polecat/query.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aebf3c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/polecat/query.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+class Polecat
+  # The Query manages a number of terms or queries which are set into a
+  # relation. A relation is needed to say, which documents shall be
+  # returned.
+  # In a @and@ relation only the documents, which are returned of the query
+  # parts get returned. For @or@ all documents found in a part get returned.
+  class Query
+    # returns the relation of the terms
+    # @return [Symbol] :and, :or
+    attr_accessor :relation
+
+    # returns the list of all terms
+    attr_reader :terms
+
+    # creates a new query object
+    #
+    # Create a new query object. As a default, the relation is set to @:and@
+    # (@see Query#relation)
+    def initialize relation = :and
+      if relation == :and || relation == :or
+        @relation = relation
+      else
+        raise ArgumentError, 'no valid relation'
+      end
+
+      @terms = []
+    end
+
+    # add a new term or query
+    def add term
+      @terms << term
+      self
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/polecat/term.rb b/lib/polecat/term.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16b54d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/polecat/term.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+class Polecat
+  class Term
+    # the field name which should be found
+    attr_reader :field
+    # the operator to match the field with the value
+    attr_reader :operator
+    # the search value which get's matched against the document field
+    attr_reader :value
+
+    # create a new Term for a query
+    def initialize field, operator, value
+      @field = field
+      @operator = operator
+      if @operator == :eq && value.class == String
+        @value = /^#{value}$/
+      else
+        @value = value
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/index_searcher/search_spec.rb b/spec/index_searcher/search_spec.rb
index c2accda..85cc0dc 100644
--- a/spec/index_searcher/search_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/index_searcher/search_spec.rb
@@ -5,16 +5,16 @@ describe "IndexSearcher#search" do
   let(:w) { Polecat::IndexWriter.new(path) }
   let(:s) { Polecat::IndexSearcher.new :path => path }
 
-  it "returns an empty array when nothing was found" do
-    s.search("foo").should == []
+  it "returns an empty array when the query is empty" do
+    s.search(Polecat::Query.new).should == []
   end
 
   context "searching on a filled index" do
     before do
-      w.add Spec::FooDocument.new(:name => 'foo')
-      w.add Spec::FooDocument.new(:name => 'bar')
-      w.add Spec::FooDocument.new(:name => 'baz')
-      w.add Spec::FooDocument.new(:name => 'foobar')
+      w.add Spec::FooDocument.new(:id => 0, :name => 'foo')
+      w.add Spec::FooDocument.new(:id => 1, :name => 'bar')
+      w.add Spec::FooDocument.new(:id => 2, :name => 'baz')
+      w.add Spec::FooDocument.new(:id => 3, :name => 'foobar')
       w.write
     end
 
@@ -25,8 +25,33 @@ describe "IndexSearcher#search" do
       )
     end
 
+    let (:q1) { Polecat::Query.new.add(Polecat::Term.new(:id, :eq, 1)) }
     it "returns an array of documents, when a document was found" do
-      s.search('foo').count.should == 1
+      s.search(q1).count.should == 1
+    end
+
+    let (:q2) { Polecat::Query.new.add(Polecat::Term.new(:name, :eq, 'foo')) }
+    it "returns only matches for a String query" do
+      s.search(q2).count.should == 1
+    end
+
+    let (:q3) { Polecat::Query.new.add(Polecat::Term.new(:name, :eq, /foo/)) }
+    it "returns all documents when an regexp is given" do
+      s.search(q3).count.should == 2
+    end
+
+    let (:q4) { Polecat::Query.new.add(Polecat::Term.new(:id, :eq, 33)) }
+    it "returns an empty array when no document matched" do
+      s.search(q4).count.should == 0
+    end
+
+    let (:q5) {
+      Polecat::Query.new.
+        add(Polecat::Term.new(:id, :eq, 3)).
+        add(Polecat::Term.new(:name, :eq, 'foobar'))
+    }
+    it "returns a document for a query with multiple terms" do
+      s.search(q5).count.should == 1
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/query/add_spec.rb b/spec/query/add_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..53738b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/query/add_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../spec_helper')
+
+describe "Query#add" do
+  let (:term1) { Polecat::Term.new(:id, :eq, 23) }
+  let (:term2) { Polecat::Term.new(:name, :eq, 'foo') }
+  let (:term3) { Polecat::Term.new(:lastname, :eq, /foo/) }
+  let (:query) { Polecat::Query.new }
+
+  it "returns the query object for chaining" do
+    query.add(term1).should be(query)
+  end
+
+  it "adds the term to the list of terms" do
+    query.add(term1).terms.count.should be(1)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/query/new_spec.rb b/spec/query/new_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7aaf4a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/query/new_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../spec_helper')
+
+describe "Query#new" do
+  it "uses 'and' as an default" do
+    q = Polecat::Query.new
+    q.relation.should be(:and)
+  end
+
+  it "takes a relation operator as an argument" do
+    q = Polecat::Query.new :or
+    q.relation.should be(:or)
+  end
+
+  it "raises an error, when the relation is not known" do
+    lambda { Polecat::Query.new :foo }.should raise_error(ArgumentError)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/term/new_spec.rb b/spec/term/new_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c846262
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/term/new_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../spec_helper')
+
+describe "Term#new" do
+  it "takes a field, a operator and a value" do
+    t = Polecat::Term.new :id, :eq, 23
+    t.field.should be(:id)
+    t.operator.should be(:eq)
+    t.value.should be(23)
+  end
+
+  it "converts Strings to Regexps, if the operator is :eq" do
+    t = Polecat::Term.new :name, :eq, "foo"
+    t.value.should == /^foo$/
+  end
+
+  it "raises an error if no argument is given" do
+    lambda { Polecat::Term.new }.should raise_error
+  end
+end