Boolean operators are simple words used in search engines and databases to refine search results. The three main operators are AND, OR, and NOT. Using AND narrows your search by including only results that contain all specified terms. For example, searching for "cats AND dogs" will show results that mention both animals. On the other hand, the OR operator broadens your search by including results that contain at least one of the specified terms. For instance, "cats OR dogs" will return results that mention either animal. Lastly, the NOT operator excludes certain terms, helping to filter out unwanted information. For example, "cats NOT dogs" will show results about cats without any mention of dogs.