question

question
    n 1: an instance of questioning; "there was a question about my
         training"; "we made inquiries of all those who were
         present" [syn: {question}, {inquiry}, {enquiry}, {query},
         {interrogation}] [ant: {answer}]
    2: the subject matter at issue; "the question of disease merits
       serious discussion"; "under the head of minor Roman poets"
       [syn: {question}, {head}]
    3: a sentence of inquiry that asks for a reply; "he asked a
       direct question"; "he had trouble phrasing his
       interrogations" [syn: {question}, {interrogation},
       {interrogative}, {interrogative sentence}]
    4: uncertainty about the truth or factuality or existence of
       something; "the dubiousness of his claim"; "there is no
       question about the validity of the enterprise" [syn: {doubt},
       {dubiousness}, {doubtfulness}, {question}]
    5: a formal proposal for action made to a deliberative assembly
       for discussion and vote; "he made a motion to adjourn"; "she
       called for the question" [syn: {motion}, {question}]
    6: an informal reference to a marriage proposal; "he was ready
       to pop the question"
    v 1: challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of; "We must
         question your judgment in this matter" [syn: {question},
         {oppugn}, {call into question}]
    2: pose a series of questions to; "The suspect was questioned by
       the police"; "We questioned the survivor about the details of
       the explosion" [syn: {interrogate}, {question}]
    3: pose a question [syn: {question}, {query}]
    4: conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio
       reporting [syn: {interview}, {question}]
    5: place in doubt or express doubtful speculation; "I wonder
       whether this was the right thing to do"; "she wondered
       whether it would snow tonight" [syn: {wonder}, {question}]
    

Question \Ques"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. quaestio, fr. quaerere,
   quaesitum, to seek for, ask, inquire. See {Quest}, n.]
   1. The act of asking; interrogation; inquiry; as, to examine
      by question and answer.
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   2. Discussion; debate; hence, objection; dispute; doubt; as,
      the story is true beyond question; he obeyed without
      question.
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            There arose a question between some of John's
            disciples and the Jews about purifying. -- John iii.
                                                  25.
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            It is to be to question, whether it be lawful for
            Christian princes to make an invasive war simply for
            the propagation of the faith.         -- Bacon.
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   3. Examination with reference to a decisive result;
      investigation; specifically, a judicial or official
      investigation; also, examination under torture.
      --Blackstone.
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            He that was in question for the robbery. Shak.
            The Scottish privy council had power to put state
            prisoners to the question.            --Macaulay.
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   4. That which is asked; inquiry; interrogatory; query.
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            But this question asked
            Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain ?
                                                  --Milton.
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   5. Hence, a subject of investigation, examination, or debate;
      theme of inquiry; matter to be inquired into; as, a
      delicate or doubtful question.
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   6. Talk; conversation; speech; speech. [Obs.] --Shak.
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   {In question}, in debate; in the course of examination or
      discussion; as, the matter or point in question.

   {Leading question}. See under {Leading}.

   {Out of question}, unquestionably. "Out of question, 't is
      Maria's hand." --Shak.

   {Out of the question}. See under {Out}.

   {Past question}, beyond question; certainly; undoubtedly;
      unquestionably.

   {Previous question}, a question put to a parliamentary
      assembly upon the motion of a member, in order to
      ascertain whether it is the will of the body to vote at
      once, without further debate, on the subject under
      consideration.

   Note: The form of the question is: "Shall the main question
         be now put?" If the vote is in the affirmative, the
         matter before the body must be voted upon as it then
         stands, without further general debate or the
         submission of new amendments. In the House of
         Representatives of the United States, and generally in
         America, a negative decision operates to keep the
         business before the body as if the motion had not been
         made; but in the English Parliament, it operates to
         postpone consideration for the day, and until the
         subject may be again introduced. In American practice,
         the object of the motion is to hasten action, and it is
         made by a friend of the measure. In English practice,
         the object is to get rid of the subject for the time
         being, and the motion is made with a purpose of voting
         against it. --Cushing.

   {To beg the question}. See under {Beg}.

   {To the question}, to the point in dispute; to the real
      matter under debate.
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   Syn: Point; topic; subject.
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Question \Ques"tion\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Questioned}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Questioning}.] [Cf. F. questionner. See {Question},
   n.]
   1. To ask questions; to inquire.
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            He that questioneth much shall learn much. --Bacon.
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   2. To argue; to converse; to dispute. [Obs.]
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            I pray you, think you question with the Jew. --Shak.
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Question \Ques"tion\, v. t.
   1. To inquire of by asking questions; to examine by
      interrogatories; as, to question a witness.
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   2. To doubt of; to be uncertain of; to query.
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            And most we question what we most desire. --Prior.
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   3. To raise a question about; to call in question; to make
      objection to. "But have power and right to question thy
      bold entrance on this place." --Milton.
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   4. To talk to; to converse with.
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            With many holiday and lady terms he questioned me.
                                                  -- Shak.
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   Syn: To ask; interrogate; catechise; doubt; controvert;
        dispute.

   Usage: Question, Inquire, Interrogate. To inquire is merely
          to ask for information, and implies no authority in
          the one who asks. To interrogate is to put repeated
          questions in a formal or systematic fashion to elicit
          some particular fact or facts. To question has a wider
          sense than to interrogate, and often implies an
          attitude of distrust or opposition on the part of the
          questioner.
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QUESTION, practice. A point on which the parties are not agreed, and which 
is submitted to the decision of a judge and jury. 
     2. When the doubt or difference arises as to what the law is on a 
certain state of facts, this is said to be a legal question, and when the 
party demurs, this is to be decided by the court; when it arises as to the 
truth or falsehood of facts, this is a question of fact, and is to be 
decided by the jury. 
    

QUESTION, punishment, crim. law. A means sometimes employed, in some 
countries, by means of torture, to compel supposed great criminals to 
disclose their accomplices, or to acknowledge their crimes. 
     2. This torture is called question, because, as the unfortunate person 
accused is made to suffer pain, he is asked questions as to his supposed 
crime or accomplices. The same as torture. This is unknown in the United 
States. See Poth. Procedure Criminelle, sect. 5, art. 2, Sec. 3. 
    

QUESTION, evidence. An interrogation put to a witness, requesting him to 
declare the truth of certain facts as far as he knows them. 
     2. Questions are either general or leading. By a general question is 
meant such an one as requires the witness to state all be knows without any 
suggestion being made to him, as who gave the blow? 
     3. A leading question is one which leads the mind of the witness to the 
answer, or suggests it to him, as did A B give the blow ? 
     4. The Romans called a question by which the fact or supposed fact 
which the interrogator expected, or wished to find asserted, in and by the 
answer made to the proposed respondent, a suggestive interrogation, as, is 
not your name A B? Vide Leading Question. 
    

278 Moby Thesaurus words for "question":
      Chinese puzzle, Parthian shot, Pyrrhonism, absurd, address,
      affirmation, agonize over, allegation, answer, apostrophe,
      apprehension, approach, ask, ask a question, ask about,
      ask questions, assertion, assuredly, at issue, averment,
      awake a doubt, baffling problem, basis, be at sea, be curious,
      be diffident, be doubtful, be dubious, be skeptical, be uncertain,
      beat about, bill, blind bargain, bone of contention,
      borderline case, brain twister, bring into question, burden,
      burn with curiosity, calendar, call in question, case, catechism,
      catechize, certainly, challenge, chance, chapter, clause, comment,
      communicate with, companion bills amendment, concern, confusion,
      contact, contest, contingency, correspond, crack,
      cross-interrogatory, cross-question, crossword puzzle, crux,
      debatable, debating point, declaration, definitely, demand,
      demurral, demurrer, dictum, difficulty, diffidence, dig around for,
      dig up, dispute, distrust, distrustfulness, double contingency,
      doubt, doubtful, doubtfulness, doubtlessly, dragnet clause,
      dubiety, dubiousness, enacting clause, enigma, enigmatic question,
      enquiry, escalator clause, essence, establish connection, examine,
      exclamation, expression, feel unsure, feeler, focus of attention,
      focus of interest, gamble, gape, gawk, get to, gist,
      greet with skepticism, greeting, grill, grope, guess, half believe,
      half-belief, harbor suspicions, have reservations, head, heading,
      hold-up bill, impossible, in doubt, in question, inconceivable,
      indubitably, inquire, inquire of, inquiry, insupportable,
      interjection, interpellate, interrogate, interrogation,
      interrogative, interrogatory, interview, issue, jigsaw puzzle,
      joker, knot, knotty point, leader, leading question, leeriness,
      living issue, main point, maintain connection, make advances,
      make contact with, make inquiry, make overtures, make up to,
      matter, matter in hand, meat, mention, mind-boggler, misdoubt,
      misgive, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, moot point, motif,
      motion, motive, mystery, nose around for, nose out, note, nut,
      nut to crack, objection, observation, omnibus bill, open question,
      peer, perplexed question, perplexity, phrase, piece of guesswork,
      point, point at issue, point in question, poser, position,
      preposterous, privileged question, problem, pronouncement,
      propose a question, proposition, propound a question, protest,
      proviso, pump, put queries, puzzle, puzzle over, puzzlement,
      puzzler, query, question, question at issue, question mark,
      questionable, questioning, quiz, quodlibet, raise,
      raise a question, reach, reflection, relate to, remark,
      remonstrance, remonstration, reply to, require an answer,
      respond to, rider, ridiculous, rubber, rubberneck, rubric,
      saving clause, say, saying, scruple, scrupulousness, seek,
      self-doubt, sentence, shadow of doubt, sight-unseen transaction,
      sixty-four dollar question, skepticalness, skepticism, smell a rat,
      sound out, stare, statement, sticker, stumper, subject,
      subject matter, subject of thought, subjoinder, substance, suspect,
      suspicion, suspiciousness, test, text, theme, thought,
      thrash about, throw doubt upon, topic, toss-up, total skepticism,
      touch and go, tough proposition, treat with reserve, trial balloon,
      uncertainty, undecided issue, under consideration, undoubtedly,
      unthinkable, utterance, vexed question, wager, want to know,
      wariness, why, wonder, wonder about, wonder whether, word,
      worm out of