To put a question to: When we realized that we didn't know the answer, we asked the teacher.
To seek an answer to: ask a question.
To seek information about: asked directions.
To make a request of: asked me for a loan.
To make a request for. Often used with an infinitive or clause: ask a favor of a friend; asked to go along on the trip; asked that he be allowed to stay out late.
To require or call for as a price or condition: asked ten dollars for the book.
To expect or demand: ask too much of a child.
To invite: asked them to dinner.
Archaic To publish, as marriage banns.
v.
intr.
To make inquiry; seek information.
To make a request: asked for help.
[Middle English asken, from Old English ācsian, āscian; see ais- in Indo-European roots.]
ask'er n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to seek information. Ask is the most neutral term: The coach asked me what was wrong. Question implies careful and continuous asking: The prosecutor questioned the witness in great detail. Inquire refers to a simple request for information: The committee will inquire how it can be of help. Query usually suggests settling a doubt: The proofreader queried the spelling of the word. Interrogate applies especially to official questioning: The detectives interrogated the suspects. Examine refers particularly to close and detailed questioning to ascertain a person's knowledge or qualifications: Only lawyers who have been examined and certified by the bar association are admitted to practice. Quiz denotes the informal examination of students: The teacher quizzed the pupils on the state capitals.
O.E. ascian "ask," from earlier ahsian, from P.Gmc. *aiskojan (cf. O.S. escon, O.Fris. askia, M.Du. eiscen, O.H.G. eiscon, Ger. heischen "to ask, demand"), from PIE *ais- "to wish, desire" (cf. Skt. icchati "seeks, desires," Arm. aic "investigation," O.C.S. iskati "to seek," Lith. ieskau "to seek"). Form in Eng. infl. by a Scand. form of the word (cf. Dan. æske; the O.E. would have evolved by normal sound changes into ash, esh, which was a Midlands and s.w. England dialect form). The variant in modern dialect ax is as old as O.E. acsian and was an accepted literary variant until c.1600. O.E. also had fregnan, frignan which carried more directly the sense of "question, inquire," and is from PIE root *prek-, the common source of words for "ask" in most I.E. languages. If you ask me "in my opinion" is attested from 1910.
inquire about; "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times"
2.
make a request or demand for something to somebody; "She asked him for a loan"
3.
direct or put; seek an answer to; "ask a question"
4.
consider obligatory; request and expect; "We require our secretary to be on time"; "Aren't we asking too much of these children?"; "I expect my students to arrive in time for their lessons"
5.
address a question to and expect an answer from; "Ask your teacher about trigonometry"; "The children asked me about their dead grandmother"
6.
require as useful, just, or proper; "It takes nerve to do what she did"; "success usually requires hard work"; "This job asks a lot of patience and skill"; "This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice"; "This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert"; "This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent" [syn: necessitate] [ant: eliminate]
7.
require or ask for as a price or condition; "He is asking $200 for the table"; "The kidnappers are asking a million dollars in return for the release of their hostage"
to put a question Example: He asked me what the time was; Ask the price of that scarf; Ask her where to go; Ask him about it; If you don't know, ask.
Arabic:
يَسْأل
Chinese (Simplified):
询问
Chinese (Traditional):
詢問
Czech:
zeptat se
Danish:
spørge
Dutch:
vragen
Estonian:
küsima
Finnish:
kysyä
French:
demander
German:
fragen
Greek:
ρωτώ
Hungarian:
(meg)kérdez
Icelandic:
spyrja
Indonesian:
bertanya
Italian:
chiedere
Japanese:
尋ねる
Korean:
질문하다
Latvian:
jautāt
Lithuanian:
(pa)klausti
Norwegian:
spørre
Polish:
pytać
Portuguese (Brazil):
perguntar
Portuguese (Portugal):
perguntar
Romanian:
a întreba
Russian:
спрашивать
Slovak:
opýtať sa
Slovenian:
vprašati
Spanish:
preguntar
Swedish:
fråga
Turkish:
sormak
ask2[aːsk]verb
to express a wish to someone for something Example: I asked her to help me; I asked (him) for a day off; He rang and asked for you; Can I ask a favour of you?
Arabic:
يَطْلُب
Chinese (Simplified):
要求
Chinese (Traditional):
要求
Czech:
požádat
Danish:
bede om
Dutch:
vragen
Estonian:
paluma
Finnish:
pyytää
French:
demander
German:
bitten
Greek:
ζητώ
Hungarian:
kér
Icelandic:
biðja um
Indonesian:
minta
Italian:
chiedere
Japanese:
頼む
Korean:
부탁하다
Latvian:
lūgt
Lithuanian:
(pa)prašyti
Norwegian:
be om
Polish:
prosić
Portuguese (Brazil):
pedir
Portuguese (Portugal):
pedir
Romanian:
a cere
Russian:
(по)просить
Slovak:
požiadať
Slovenian:
prositi
Spanish:
pedir; preguntar por
Swedish:
be , fråga efter
Turkish:
rica etmek, istemek
ask3[aːsk]verb
to invite Example: He asked her to his house for lunch.
The price a seller is willing to accept for a security, also known as the offer price. Along with the price, the ask quote will generally also stipulate the amount of the security willing to be sold at that price.
Sometimes called "the ask".
Investopedia Commentary
This is the opposite of bid, which is the price a buyer is willing to pay for a security, and the ask will always be higher than the bid. The terms "bid" and "ask" are used in nearly every financial market in the world covering stocks, bonds, currency and derivatives. An example of an ask in the stock market would be $5.24 x 1,000 which means that someone is offering to sell 1,000 shares for $5.24.
Ask\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Asked; p. pr. & vb. n. Asking.] [OE. asken, ashen, axien, AS. [=a]scian, [=a]csian; akin to OS. [=e]sc[=o]n, OHG. eisc[=o]n, Sw. [=a]ska, Dan. [ae]ske, D. eischen, G. heischen, Lith. j["e]sk['o]ti, OSlav. iskati to seek, Skr. ish to desire. [root]5.]1. To request; to seek to obtain by words; to petition; to solicit; -- often with of, in the sense of from, before the person addressed. Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God. --Judg. xviii. 5. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. --John xv. 7. 2. To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity; as, what price do you ask? Ask me never so much dowry. --Gen. xxxiv. 12. To whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. --Luke xii. 48. An exigence of state asks a much longer time to conduct a design to maturity. --Addison. 3. To interrogate or inquire of or concerning; to put a question to or about; to question. He is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. --John ix. 21. He asked the way to Chester. --Shak. 4. To invite; as, to ask one to an entertainment. 5. To publish in church for marriage; -- said of both the banns and the persons. --Fuller. Syn: To beg; request; seek; petition; solicit; entreat; beseech; implore; crave; require; demand; claim; exhibit; inquire; interrogate. See Beg.
Ask\, v. i. 1. To request or petition; -- usually followed by for; as, to ask for bread. Ask, and it shall be given you. --Matt. vii. 7. 2. To make inquiry, or seek by request; -- sometimes followed by after. Wherefore . . . dost ask after my name? --Gen. xxxii. 29.
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