A new search engine arrived on the Web scene today called “Cuil.” Cuil is an old Irish term for knowledge, and the site is sure to attract enough Web 2.0 users charmed by its smooth, succinct layout and magazine-like search results.

At the time of this post, the site was experiencing heavy traffic so some of the links were not working properly, but I suspect that’ll improve as use become less of a novelty and more use-directed.

Of the many features Cuil offers for exploring the variety and complexity of the Web, two in particular will sure to prove useful: tabs and drilldown. After performing a search, you may get a drilldown widget that will allow you to drill deeper into subjects related to your search term. Tabs offer you additional choices and suggestions on how to refine your search.

I suspect we’ll hear a lot more about Cuil in the weeks ahead, but the 800 pound gorilla in the room goes by the name of Google. And if size, weight, and ridiculously huge market cap has any influence, the ex-Google employees who founded Cuil will need more than cumulative knowledge to make it a success.