question mark

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

question mark
    n 1: a punctuation mark (?) placed at the end of a sentence to
         indicate a question [syn: {question mark}, {interrogation
         point}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Interrogation \In*ter`ro*ga"tion\, n. [L. interrogatio: cf. F.
   interrogation.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. The act or process of interrogating or questioning;
      examination by questions; an instance of interrogating;
      inquiry.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A question put; an inquiry.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A point, mark, or sign, thus [?], indicating that the
      sentence with which it is connected is a question. It is
      used to express doubt, or to mark a query. Usually called
      a {question mark}; called also {interrogation point}.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

   Note: In works printed in the Spanish language this mark is
         not only placed at the end of an interrogative
         sentence, but is also placed, inverted [as thus
         ([iques])], at the beginning.
         [1913 Webster]

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

question mark
?
ques

   <character> "?", {ASCII} character 63.

   Common names: query; {ITU-T}: question mark; {ques}.  Rare:
   whatmark; {INTERCAL}: what; wildchar; huh; hook; buttonhook;
   hunchback.

   Question mark is used, along with {colon} for {C}'s {lazy}
   triadic "if" {operator} (similar to the {IIF} function in
   {Visual Basic}).  The expression x?y:z evaluates x, then if x
   is true it returns y else it returns z.

   In {Unix} {shell} file name patterns, question mark matches
   any single character.

   (2003-06-17)

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

50 Moby Thesaurus words for "question mark":
      Chinese puzzle, baffling problem, bone of contention,
      brain twister, catechism, cross-interrogatory, cross-question,
      crossword puzzle, crux, debating point, demand, enigma,
      enigmatic question, feeler, floorer, inquiry, interrogation,
      interrogative, interrogatory, issue, jigsaw puzzle, knot,
      knotty point, leader, leading question, mind-boggler, moot point,
      mystery, nut to crack, perplexed question, perplexity,
      point at issue, point in question, poser, problem, puzzle,
      puzzlement, puzzler, query, question, question at issue, quodlibet,
      sixty-four dollar question, sticker, stumper, topic,
      tough proposition, trial balloon, vexed question, why