Ask

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Ask, v. t. [OE. asken, ashen, axien, AS. āscian, ācsian; akin to OS. ēscōn, OHG. eiscōn, Sw. āska, Dan. æske, D. eischen, G. heischen, Lith. jëskóti, OSlav. iskati to seek, Skr. ish to desire. √5.].

•  To request; to seek to obtain by words; to petition; to solicit; -- often with of, in the sense of from, before the person addressed.  [1913 Webster]

  "Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God."  [1913 Webster]

  "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."  [1913 Webster]
•  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?  [1913 Webster]

  "Ask me never so much dowry."  [1913 Webster]

  "To whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."  [1913 Webster]

  "An exigence of state asks a much longer time to conduct a design to maturity."  [1913 Webster]
•  To interrogate or inquire of or concerning; to put a question to or about; to question.  [1913 Webster]

  "He is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself."  [1913 Webster]

  "He asked the way to Chester."  [1913 Webster]
•  To invite; as, to ask one to an entertainment.  [1913 Webster]
•  To publish in church for marriage; -- said of both the banns and the persons.  Fuller.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To beg; request; seek; petition; solicit; entreat; beseech; implore; crave; require; demand; claim; exhibit; inquire; interrogate. See Beg.

Ask, v. i. 

•  To request or petition; -- usually followed by for; as, to ask for bread.  [1913 Webster]

  "Ask, and it shall be given you."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make inquiry, or seek by request; -- sometimes followed by after.  [1913 Webster]

  "Wherefore . . . dost ask after my name?"  [1913 Webster]

Ask, n. [See 2d Asker.].

 A water newt.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Ask, v.
1 tr. call for an answer to or about (ask her about it; ask him his name; ask a question of him).
2 tr. seek to obtain from another person (ask a favour of; ask to be allowed).
3 tr. (usu. foll. by out or over, or to (a function etc.)) invite; request the company of (must ask them over; asked her to dinner).
4 intr. (foll. by for) seek to obtain, meet, or be directed to (ask for a donation; ask for the post office; asking for you).
5 tr. archaic require (a thing).

Idiom

ask after inquire about (esp. a person). ask for it sl. invite trouble. asking price the price of an object set by the seller. ask me another colloq. I do not know. for the asking (obtainable) for nothing. I ask you! an exclamation of disgust, surprise, etc. if you ask me colloq. in my opinion.

Derivative

asker n.

Etymology

OE ascian etc. f. WG

THESAURUS

Ask

apply for, argue, ask a question, ask about, ask for, ask questions, assess, be hurting for, be indicated, beg, beg leave, beseech, bespeak, bid, bid come, blackmail, bring into question, call, call for, call in, canvass, catechize, challenge, charge, charge for, claim, clamor for, crave, cry for, cry out for, debate, deliberate, demand, desire, discuss, entreat, exact, examine, extort, file for, have occasion for, implore, importune, impose, indent, inquire, inquire of, interpellate, interrogate, invite, issue an invitation, issue an ultimatum, levy, make a demand, make a request, make a requisition, make application, make dutiable, make inquiry, necessitate, need, order, order up, place an order, prerequire, pro rata, propose a question, propound a question, prorate, put in for, put in requisition, put queries, query, question, quiz, request, require, require an answer, requisition, review, screw, seek, solicit, stick for, summon, take, take doing, talk over, tax, tithe, want, want doing, want to know, warn, whistle for, wish

ROGET THESAURUS

Ask

Request

VB request, ask, beg, crave, sue, pray, petition, solicit, invite, pop the question, make bold to ask, beg leave, beg a boon, apply to, call to, put to, call upon, call for, make a request, address a request, prefer a request, put up a request, make a prayer, address a prayer, prefer a prayer, put up a prayer, make a petition, address a petition, prefer a petition, put up a petition, make application, make a requisition, ask trouble, ask one for, claim, offer up prayers, whistle for, beg hard, entreat, beseech, plead, supplicate, implore, conjure, adjure, obtest, cry to, kneel to, appeal to, invoke, evoke, impetrate, imprecate, ply, press, urge, beset, importune, dun, tax, clamor for, cry aloud, cry for help, fall on one's knees, throw oneself at the feet of, come down on one's marrowbones, beg from door to door, send the hat round, go a begging, mendicate, mump, cadge, beg one's bread, dance attendance on, besiege, knock at the door, bespeak, canvass, tout, make interest, court, seek, bid for, publish the banns.

Barter

VB barter, exchange, swap, swop, truck, scorse, interchange, commutate, compound for, trade, traffic, buy and sell, give and take, nundinate, carry on a trade, ply a trade, drive a trade, be in business, be in the city, keep a shop, deal in, employ one's capital in, trade with, deal with, have dealings with, transact business with, do business with, open an account with, keep an account with, bargain, drive a bargain, make a bargain, negotiate, bid for, haggle, higgle, dicker, chaffer, huckster, cheapen, beat down, stickle, stickle for, out bid, under bid, ask, charge, strike a bargain, speculate, give a sprat to catch a herring, buy in the cheapest and sell in the dearest market, buy low and sell high, corner the market, rig the market, stag the market.

Price

VB bear a price, set a price, fix a price, appraise, assess, doom, price, charge, demand, ask, require, exact, run up, distrain, run up a bill, have one's price, liquidate, amount to, come to, mount up to, stand one in, fetch, sell for, cost, bring in, yield, afford.

Inquiry

VB make inquiry, inquire, ask, seek, search, look for, look about for, look out for, scan, reconnoiter, explore, sound, rummage, ransack, pry, peer, look round, look over, go over, look through, go through, spy, overhaul, ask about, inquire about, scratch the head, slap the forehead, look into every hole and corner, peer into every hole and corner, pry into every hole and corner, nose, trace up, search out, hunt down, hunt out, fish out, ferret out, unearth, leave no stone unturned, seek a clue, seek a clew, hunt, track, trail, mouse, dodge, trace, follow the trail, follow the scent, pursue, beat up one's quarters, fish for, feel for, investigate, take up an inquiry, institute an inquiry, pursue an inquiry, follow up an inquiry, conduct an inquiry, carry on an inquiry, carry out an inquiry, prosecute an inquiry, look at, look into, preexamine, discuss, canvass, agitate, examine, study, consider, calculate, dip into, dive into, delve into, go deep into, make sure of, probe, sound, fathom, probe to the bottom, probe to the quick, scrutinize, analyze, anatomize, dissect, parse, resolve, sift, winnow, view in all its phases, try in all its phases, thresh out, bring in question, bring into question, subject to examination, put to the proof, audit, tax, pass in review, take into consideration, take counsel, question, demand, put the question, pop the question, propose the question, propound the question, moot the question, start the question, raise the question, stir the question, suggest the question, put forth the question, ventilate the question, grapple with the question, go into a question, question, put to the question, interrogate, pump, subject to interrogation, subject to examination, cross-question, cross-examine, press for an answer, give the third degree, put to the inquisition, dodge, catechize, require an answer, pick the brains of, suck the brains of, feel the pulse, get the lay of the land, see how the wind is blowing, put one's ear to the ground, be in question, undergo examination.