quaere
See also: quære
English edit
Alternative forms edit
- quære (archaic)
Etymology edit
From Latin quaere, second-person singular present active imperative of quaerō (“seek, look for; ask”).
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
quaere (third-person singular simple present quaeres, present participle quaering or quaereing, simple past and past participle quaered)
- (archaic) To ask or query; used imperatively to introduce a question or signify doubt.
- 1689, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding:
- Suppose then the cube and sphere placed on a table, and the blind man be made to see: quaere, whether by his sight, before he touched them, he could now distinguish and tell which is the globe, which the cube?
- 1970, Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander:
- Now, she cannot express her emotions fully: Quaere: will she feel them fully?
Noun edit
quaere (plural quaeres)
- (archaic) A question or query.
- 1761, Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume 3, Penguin, published 2003, page 216:
- Had ten dozen of hornets stung him behind in so many places all at one time,—he could not have […] started half so much, as with one single quære of three words unseasonably popping in full upon him.
References edit
- 1902: Websters International Dictionary.
- 1984: Concise Oxford.
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “quaere”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Latin edit
Verb edit
quaere