in-quire
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verb (used without object)
1.
to seek information by questioning; ask: to inquire about a person.
2.
to make investigation (usually followed by into ): to inquire into the incident.
verb (used with object)
3.
to seek to learn by asking: to inquire a person's name.
4.
Obsolete. to seek.
5.
Obsolete. to question (a person).
00:10
In-quire
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
6.
inquire after, to ask about the state of health or condition of: Friends have been calling all morning to inquire after you.
Also, enquire.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin inquīrere to seek for (see in-2, query); replacing Middle English enqueren < Old French enquerre < Latin, as above
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin inquīrere to seek for (see in-2, query); replacing Middle English enqueren < Old French enquerre < Latin, as above
Related forms
in·quir·a·ble, adjective
in·quir·er, noun
re·in·quire, verb, re·in·quired, re·in·quir·ing.
un·in·quired, adjective
Synonyms
1–3. investigate, examine, query. Inquire, ask, question imply that a person addresses another to obtain information. Ask is the general word: to ask what time it is. Inquire is more formal and implies asking about something specific: to inquire about a rumor. To question implies repetition and persistence in asking; it often applies to legal examination or investigation: to question the survivor of an accident. Sometimes it implies doubt: to question a figure, an account.
1–3. investigate, examine, query. Inquire, ask, question imply that a person addresses another to obtain information. Ask is the general word: to ask what time it is. Inquire is more formal and implies asking about something specific: to inquire about a rumor. To question implies repetition and persistence in asking; it often applies to legal examination or investigation: to question the survivor of an accident. Sometimes it implies doubt: to question a figure, an account.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To in-quire
Collins
World English Dictionary
inquire or enquire (ɪnˈkwaɪə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb (often foll by into) | |
| 1. | a. to seek information; ask: she inquired his age; she inquired about rates of pay |
| b. ( | |
| 2. | to make a search or investigation |
| [C13: from Latin inquīrere from | |
| enquire or enquire | |
| —vb | |
| [C13: from Latin inquīrere from | |
| in'quirer or enquire | |
| —n | |
| en'quirer or enquire | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
inquire
late 13c., from O.Fr. enquerre, from V.L. *inquærere, from L. in- "into" + quærere "ask, seek" (see query). Respelled 14c. on L. model, but half-Latinized enquire still persists.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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