Nearby Words
noun
1.
an official investigation, especially one of a political or religious nature, characterized by lack of regard for individual rights, prejudice on the part of the examiners, and recklessly cruel punishments.
2.
any harsh, difficult, or prolonged questioning.
3.
the act of inquiring; inquiry; research.
4.
an investigation, or process of inquiry.
5.
EXPANDa judicial or official inquiry.
6.
the finding of such an inquiry.
7.
the document embodying the result of such inquiry.
8.
COLLAPSE(initial capital letter) Roman Catholic Church.
a.
a former special tribunal, engaged chiefly in combating and punishing heresy. Compare Holy Office.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Inquisitions
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
inquisition
late 14c., "act or process of inquiring," from O.Fr. inquisition, from L. inquisitionem (nom. inquisitio) "a searching into, legal examination," from inquisitus, pp. of inquirere (see inquire). In Church history, inquisitors were appointed from 382 C.E. to root out heretics,
EXPANDand the Inquisition refers to the ecclesiastical court (Congregation of the Holy Office) appointed 13c. by Innocent III to suppress heresy. It never operated in Britain. The capital letter form appeared in English only after c.1500, and usually refers to the office's reorganization 1478-1483 in Spain as what is commonly called the Spanish Inquisition.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
Inquisition definition
A court established by the Roman Catholic Church in the thirteenth century to try cases of heresy and other offenses against the church. Those convicted could be handed over to the civil authorities for punishment, including execution.
Note: The Inquisition was most active in Spain, especially under Tomás de Torquemada; its officials sometimes gained confessions through torture. It did not cease operation in the Spanish Empire until the nineteenth century.
Note: By association, a harsh or unjust trial or interrogation may be called an “inquisition.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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