askv.

Brit.

/ɑːsk/,

/ask/, U.S.

/æsk/

Forms:

α. Old English ascian, Old English askede (past tense, rare), early Middle English ascie, early Middle English asskenn ( Ormulum), early Middle English easki (south-west midlands), early Middle English escie (south-west midlands), early Middle English eski (south-west midlands), early Middle English eskie (south-west midlands), Middle English ascke, Middle English aski, Middle English asky, Middle English askye, Middle English assk, Middle English esce (south-west midlands), Middle English hask, Middle English haske, Middle English–1600s aske, Middle English– ask, 1500s– askt (past tense and past participle, now nonstandard), 1600s asck; Scottish pre-1700 alscyt (past tense), pre-1700 alsk, pre-1700 1700s– ask.

β. Old English achsian (rare), Old English acsian, Old English acsyan (rare), Old English acxian (rare), Old English ahsian, Old English ahxian (rare), Old English aoxode (past tense, transmission error), Old English axan (perhaps transmission error), Old English axian, Old English axsian, Old English oxa (imperative, transmission error), late Old English agsode (past tense), late Old English ahcsian, late Old English axxede (past tense), late Old English æxode (Kentish, past tense), early Middle English acsiege (1st singular present indicative), early Middle English acxie, early Middle English ahsie, early Middle English asxie, early Middle English axisige (1st singular present indicative, perhaps transmission error), early Middle English axoe (imperative, probably transmission error), early Middle English axoseden (past tense plural, transmission error), early Middle English axsie, early Middle English axsoian (transmission error), early Middle English axsye, early Middle English æxi, early Middle English eaxede (past tense), early Middle English echste (past tense), early Middle English haxi, Middle English acse, Middle English acsi, Middle English acsie, Middle English acsy, Middle English aixe, Middle English ak- (inflected form), Middle English aksy, Middle English auxe, Middle English axi, Middle English axie, Middle English axke, Middle English axse, Middle English axsy, Middle English axy, Middle English ecse, Middle English exe (north-west midlands, in a late copy), Middle English haxh- (inflected form), Middle English ix, Middle English ocsi, Middle English oksi, Middle English oxe, Middle English oxi, Middle English oxie, Middle English oxy, Middle English–1500s akse, Middle English–1600s (1700s– regional and nonstandard) ax Brit. /aks/, U.S. /æks/, Middle English–1600s (1900s– U.S. regional) axe, 1500s exd (past participle), 1600s (1800s Scottish) ax', 1900s– aks (Scottish (Shetland)), 2000s– axx (U.S. regional); English regional 1800s– arx, 1800s– ex, 1800s– hax.

γ. Middle English aische, Middle English aishe, Middle English asch, Middle English asche, Middle English ashe, Middle English ass, Middle English assche, Middle English aste (past tense), Middle English aysche, Middle English aysse, Middle English eche, Middle English eisshe, Middle English esch, Middle English eschce, Middle English esche, Middle English essche, Middle English esse, Middle English esste (past tense), Middle English has, Middle English hasche, Middle English hash, Middle English hesshe, Middle English–1500s asse, Middle English–1500s asshe, Middle English–1500s (1800s– regional) ast (past tense), Middle English (1800s– regional) ast, 1800s– as't (English regional, past participle), 1800s– ast (regional, past participle), 1800s– asted (regional, past tense and past participle); also Scottish pre-1700 as, pre-1700 ase, pre-1700 ast (past tense).

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian āskia , āschia to demand, to claim (East Frisian easkje ), Middle Dutch eiscen , eescen , eischen , eeschen (also (rare) in forms with initial h- ) to ask, request, desire (Dutch eischen ), Old Saxon ēskon , ēscan to ask, demand, to search for, investigate (also ēscian (rare) to claim) (Middle Low German ēschen , eischen , also (rare) hēschen , heischen ), Old High German eiscōn , eiskōn to demand, ask, to search for, look for (Middle High German eischen , heischen , German heischen ) < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit iccháti seeks, wishes, éṣati seeks, Avestan isaiti longs for, Old Church Slavonic iskati to seek, search, Lithuanian ieškóti to search for, and perhaps further with classical Latin aeruscāre to go begging, to ask (see erustate v.). Compare ask n.¹ (a derivative formation from the same Germanic base).Germanic cognates. No cognates are recorded in Gothic or North Germanic (Swedish äska , Danish æske are later borrowings < Middle Low German). Forms in various West Germanic languages with initial h- probably arose by association with cognates of hight v.¹ (compare their use in the meanings ‘to command’ and ‘to summon’). Form history: (i) stem vowel. Originally the word had a long stem vowel (Old English ā < Germanic ai ), but shows shortening before the following consonant group in Middle English. The form with long vowel in modern standard southern British English reflects much later lengthening before a voiceless fricative (compare discussion at A n.). Middle English forms in o , attested chiefly in sources from the east midlands and south-east, are the regular reflexes of the form with unshortened vowel. An (irregular) late Old English by-form with stem vowel ǣ is very occasionally attested (compare e.g. the past tense form æxode at β. forms and also the (prefixed) verbal noun geǣscung asking, enquiry, for expected geāscung ); this is reflected in Middle English (chiefly shortened) forms in ea and e , which are attested chiefly in sources from the south-west midlands and neighbouring parts of the south-west. The origin of the Old English stem vowel ǣ is unclear, and may show the analogical influence of the cognate noun (ge)ǣsce (see ask n.¹). A parallel weak Class I formation from the same base would show regular i-mutation of ā to ǣ (in addition to palatalization and assibilation of the consonant group: see below); however, the evidence for the existence of such a verb is very slight: Old English ǣscan , which appears to show the required form, is attested only once in a late manuscript in the specific legal sense ‘to search for or lay claim to (stolen property)’, and could alternatively be explained as showing a derivative of ask n.¹ Form history: (ii) consonant group. The β. forms show metathesis of /sk/ to /ks/. This is very well attested in Old English but is chiefly found in late West Saxon. However, in Middle English the β. forms are more widely distributed throughout the midlands and south. Such metathetic forms have long been regarded as nonstandard (the anonymous Writing Scholar's Compan. (1695) describes ax as vulgar), although they reflect the usual pronunciation of the word in many regional varieties of English. The γ. forms chiefly appear to show palatalization and assibilation of the stem-final consonant group. This is not expected for an Old English weak Class II verb such as āscian , and may once again reflect influence from ask n.¹ (which shows assibilation in Old English; compare discussion at that entry); however, compare also the rare weak Class I verb ǣscan mentioned above. Middle English forms indicative of the pronunciation /ʃ/ are attested from the midlands (especially the south-west midlands) and the south. In some instances γ. forms such as ass, asse reflect pronunciation with /s/ instead, resulting from simplification of the consonant cluster of the α. forms; compare:a1425 (?a1350) Gospel of Nicodemus (Galba) (1907) l. 834 Þarfore þis thing we ass [rhymes pas, has]: bides þam bring Ioseph.a1450 York Plays (1885) 69 I am hys hayre, as elde will asse [rhymes passe, hasse, was].a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xxi. 264 Sir, as ye haue hast [rhymes trespast, agast], it shal be.This development appears to have occurred first in Middle English texts of northern provenance, where the past tense forms askt , askte were simplified to ast, aste, subsequently giving rise to inferred present tense forms like asse (see R. Jordan Handb. der mittelenglischen Grammatik (ed. 2, 1934) §182 note 1). It is unclear whether the present tense form ast shows a levelling of such past tense forms, or alternatively an assimilation of final -sk to -st (see E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §398, and perhaps compare β. forms at mast n.² and discussion at that entry). Prefixed forms in Old English. In Old English the prefixed form geāscian (compare y- prefix) is also found in the senses ‘to ask, to enquire after, seek out, to request to see, to find out, learn, ascertain’; it is found much more commonly in the latter group of senses than the unprefixed form, which is very rare in these senses in Old English (compare sense 8). Compare also beāscian to ask (in order to obtain information) (compare be- prefix), ofāscian of-ask v. Notes on senses. With use with reference to the reading of marriage banns (see sense 1d) compare Anglo-Norman demander (end of the 13th cent. in this sense). A number of prepositional constructions in ask v. have earlier French parallels in demander demand v.; with ask to at sense 6b compare Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French demander à ; with ask of compare Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French demander de . With to ask account at sense 11b(b) compare Middle French, French demander compte (c1372 in the passage translated in quot. ?c1450 at sense 11b(b)).

To say something to a person with the aim of eliciting a response (whether the goal is information, a thing desired, or an action), and derived uses.

I. With information as the goal. See also branch V.

1. To say or otherwise communicate (something) in order to obtain an answer or information.

a. transitive. With indirect or, less commonly, direct question as object.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > ask, enquire [verb (transitive)]

fraynea800

speerc888

askOE

fand?c1225

inquirec1290

asearch1382

queerc1390

assay1393

to take knowledge of1399

interrogate1600

quaere1627

query1644

OE Dispute between Edwin & his Mother (Sawyer 1462) in A. J. Robertson Anglo-Saxon Charters (1956) 153 Þa acsode þe bisceop hwa sceolde andswerian for his moder.

c1175 ( Ælfric Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 39 Ða axode Petrus: Hu ofte sceal ic forȝifæn?

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 10278 Teȝȝ sholldenn..asskenn whatt he wære.

c1300 St. Christopher (Harl.) 149 in F. J. Furnivall Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 63 Þis gode man..eschte what hi wolde.

c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 2898 Noyse & cri he herd in þat cite: He gan oxy what it miȝt be.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7887 He askes, quat was þat leuedi?

1455 E. Clere in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 108 He askid what the princes name was.

c1475 (?c1425) Avowing of King Arthur (1984) l. 377 Gauan asshes, ‘Is hit soe?’

1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes f. 7 Socrates asked wherfore he was so vengeable eagre.

1549 M. Coverdale et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. II. Rom. Prol. sig. ++i He axeth not whether good workes are to be done or not.

1595 H. Chettle Piers Plainnes Prentiship sig. C4 Aeliana..askt if hee were a Cretan or a stranger in that Countrey.

1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 iii. ii. 63 May I aske how my Ladie his wife doth?

1647 Perfect Occurr. Parl. No. 16. 123 At the crackling of fire, His Majesty (merrily) asked if there were fireworkes.

1682 I. Newton Let. 12 Sept. (1960) II. 383 If it be asked why those objects appeare in this or that situation & distance one from another, the answer should be [etc.].

1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 454. ⁋6 To ask what I wanted.

1743 H. Fielding Jonathan Wild iii. iv, in Misc. III. 210 Another of his Gang..asked if he should blow out the Brains of all the Passengers.

1791 A. Radcliffe Romance of Forest I. v. 196 May I presume to ask what has interested you thus in her favour?

1824 J. Hogg Private Mem. Justified Sinner 257 I..asked whom it was his pleasure to personify to-night?

1890 Athenæum 11 Oct. 478/3 The student will..then naturally ask how he is to distinguish the perfective from the imperfective aspect.

1934 Boys' Life Dec. 3/4 We've been receiving more and more letters asking how to get copies of back issues.

1946 C. Bush Case Second Chance ii. 22 ‘That settled his hash’ asked Wharton.

1974 J. Willwerth Jones vii. 101 They ask if I sell drugs. I say maybe.

1990 A. Townley Nat. Riding vi. 104/1 The rider asks the horse if it is sufficiently well balanced to change pace.

2009 New Yorker 26 Oct. 76/2 When I asked where he planned to go, he said, ‘Maybe Rome, or maybe the Water City.’

b. transitive. With the question indicated by a noun denoting its content, as the way, a name, a person's age, etc.

ΚΠ

OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Gen. (Claud.) xxxii. 29 Hwi axast [L. quaeris] ðu minne naman?

c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) l. 5523 Þou no schalt aske name our No wo we beþ no non of our No apose ous of our being.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Gen. xxxii. 29 Wherto askis [a1425 L.V. axist] þou my name?

a1450 St. Edith (Faust.) (1883) l. 2755 Ryse up..& þe way asshe To Wyltone.

c1503 R. Arnold Chron. f. lxxix/2 To answere him that axith the lawe off the lorde.

1549 H. Latimer 1st Serm. before Kynges Grace sig. Biiii The other axed y^e price, he sayd: xx. nobels.

1598 F. Rous Thule i. sig. B 3^v And then her state he curious doth enquire, Asking the cause of her distressed plight.

1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 i. i. 39 He askt the way to Chester.

1603 P. Holland tr. Plutarch Morals 1312 Eudoxus..asked the reason, why Ceres had no charge and superintendance over Love matters.

?1692 R. Abbott Jrnl. (1864) 5 A Clark came out to ask my Cristian name.

1760 Minutes Trial Lord Geo. Sackville 18 This officer being asked the distance from their battery to the enemy? Answered 800 or 1000 yards.

1777 P. Thicknesse Year's Journey France & Spain II. 112 A Gentleman at Cambridge, who..on being asked the use of it, said, [etc.].

1832 Ld. Tennyson Dream Fair Women xxx, in Poems (new ed.) 129 Ask thou not my name.

1839 P. J. Bailey Festus 227 He asks the hour.

1920 E. Wharton Age of Innocence i. xiv. 121 She..was so sympathetic and beautiful that my wife was too dazzled to ask her name.

1921 C. Sandburg Smoke & Steel 68 There is no authority in the phone book for us to call and ask the why.

1949 Evening Tribune (Hornell, N.Y.) 18 May 4/2 The big globalist asked the score.

1955 W. W. Denlinger Compl. Boston i. 158 Without asking the price, the woman said to buy the dog.

1973 Chicago Tribune 1 Sept. 4/1 When I took the taxi trip I didn't even ask the fare.

1999 R. T. Davies Queer as Folk: Scripts Episode 8. 200 I'll get bar work,..they never ask your age.

c. transitive. With the word question as object, or a pronoun (as this) with a question as referent, or an indefinite pronoun (as something).In quot. OE² with the pronoun in the genitive.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > ask, enquire [verb (transitive)] > ask a question

askOE

puta1350

inquirea1400

speera1500

demand1502

pose1862

to put up1901

lob1952

OE Rule St. Benet (Corpus Cambr.) xxxviii. 62 Nan ne gedyrstlæce, þæt he be þære sylfan rædinge þærinne ænig ðing ahsige.

OE Homily: Invention of Cross (Auct. F.4.32) in M.-C. Bodden Old Eng. Finding of True Cross 75 Gif þeos cwen þises axian wille þonne behealdan ge hwæþer ge hit hire gecyþan willen.

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 67 Þre questiouns beeþ i-axed.

a1400 (?a1325) Medit. on Supper of our Lord (Harl.) (1875) 430 Some axen questyons to do hym wrong.

1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. BBv Saynt Austen asketh a question: How hye reacheth y^e house of perfection?

1603 P. Holland tr. Plutarch Morals 204 To reproch the demandant, as though hee had little skill and discretion, to aske a thing of him who could not give the same.

1683 in Colonial Rec. Pennsylvania (1852) I. 66 The Question was asked in Councill whether Peace Makers should sitt once a month.

1711 E. Ward Life Don Quixote II. xxix. 122 Let me know the right Of all things I have ask'd, or by This Arm you shall this Instant dye.

1756 W. Toldervy Hist. Two Orphans III. xxiii. 111 And now you may ax as many questions as you please.

1809 Supernatural Mag. 36 That is a question I will not answer. Ask something else.

1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam xiv. 22 And ask a thousand things of home.

1883 E. Lynn Linton Ione II. xx. 179 She asked this as calmly, almost glacially, as if she were not interested.

1937 V. Woolf Years 3 He had a question to ask; he turned to ask it; but his friends were gone.

1990 A. Townley Nat. Riding vi. 104/1 The rider's whole attention is required for the dialogue with his or her horse, a dialogue which starts by asking the horse a question.

2009 New Yorker 28 Sept. 55/3 He informed himself deeply, asked hard questions.

d. transitive. (a) To announce or read (banns) in church before an intended marriage, calling on any who have objections to put them forward; to publish (banns); (also) to announce publicly the name(s) of (a person or persons intending marriage), usually in passive, in to be asked in church; (now archaic); †(b) to announce the finding of (something lost, a stray animal, etc.) in church, calling on any who have claims to put them forward (obsolete).The usual verb with ‘banns’ is now publish (see publish v. 1b).In quot. a1661 in figurative context.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > information > announcing or proclaiming > announce or proclaim [verb (transitive)] > as lost, found, etc.

aska1450

proclaim1530

a1450 (?a1390) J. Mirk Instr. Parish Priests (Claud.) (1974) l. 203 Aske the banns thre halydawes.

1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Surueyeng xv. f. 28^v They ought to aske them [sc. stray cattle] thre sondayes in thre or four next parysshe churches, and also crye them thre tymes in thre the nexte market townes.

a1533 Ld. Berners tr. Arthur of Brytayn (?1560) lxxxvi. sig. Ddv The Bishoppe..there did aske the Banes betwene them.

1563 in F. J. Furnivall Child-marriages, Divorces, & Ratifications Diocese Chester (1897) 61 The banes were not askid in the church wherto he doth resort.

1589 Articles enquired Dioces of London sig. A3^v Whether your Parson, Vicar or Curate haue maried anie person not being three seueral Sondaies or Festiuali daies lawfully asked in their parish Churches.

1606 Wily Beguilde 58 We must be askt in Church next Sunday.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) ii. i. 180 The day When I shall aske the banes, and when be married.

1647 J. Cleveland Poems in Char. London-diurnall (Wing C4662) 28 Who askt the Banes 'twixt these discolour'd Mates?

a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Westm. 237 His head was ask'd, but never married to the English Crown.

1710 J. Chamberlayne Magnæ Britanniæ Notitia (ed. 23) ii. ii. iii. 395 Banns are always asked before marriage can be contracted.

1761 J. Newton Diary 14 June in Deserted Village (1992) 111 Ask'd two Couple, Preach'd a New Sermon.

1792 H. Piozzi Thraliana 1 June (1942) ii. 840 He had the Girl asked in Christ Church Surrey three Times..without her Consent or even Knowledge.

1841 J. W. Orderson Creoleana ii. 14 The fair sex..preferring to be ‘asked in church’.

1861 C. Dickens Great Expectations I. vii. 100 I offered to your sister to keep company, and to be asked in church.

1914 W. S. Walsh Heroes & Heroines Fiction 12/2 Robin pulled off his gown and invested Little John in it, who asked the bans seven times and performed the ceremony.

1920 M. Gyte Diary 8 Feb. (1999) 251 Gladys Brockley was asked in church first time.

1948 M. Bowden Comm. on Gen. Prol. to Canterbury Tales xiv. 219 The priests duty was then to ask the banns in the mother tongue.

2004 B. J. Corrigan Playhouse Law in Shakespeare's World iv. 149 The first step into obscurity is in agreeing to marry each other but failing to set the date or ask the banns.

2. To speak to or otherwise communicate with (someone) in order to obtain an answer or information. Also figurative and in figurative contexts.

a. transitive. Without construction (with the question asked understood contextually).

ΚΠ

OE West Saxon Gospels: Mark (Corpus Cambr.) xii. 34 Hine ne dorste nan mann ahsian.

OE West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) ix. 21 Ahxiað [OE Lindisf. gefraignas; L. interrogate] hine sylfne, yllde he hæfð, sprece for hine sylfne.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 7949 Þe king. axede Ioram ah ne cuðe he nowiht þer-on.

?c1335 Erthe upon Erthe (Harl. 913) (1911) 2 (MED) Erþ askiþ erþ, and erþ hir answerid.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Job xii. 7 Aske the bestis, and thei shul teche thee.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Fairf. 14) l. 1001 Syn þou askis me..I wille þe telle.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Job xii. 7 Axe the catell, & they shal enfourme the.

1579 T. Lodge Protogenes 13 Ask Josephus, and he wil tel you that Esay, Job and Salomon, voutsafed poetical practises.

1611 Bible (King James) 1 Cor. xiv. 35 Let them aske their husbands at home.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) ii. v. 31 Aske my dogge.

1631 W. Watts tr. St. Augustine Confessions xi. xiv. 755 What is time then? If nobody askes me, I can tell.

1681 E. Coxere in B. Cusack Everyday Eng. 1500–1700 (1998) 274 He Toulld me he woulld Aske y^e Capten.

1727 J. M. Smythe Rival Modes ii. 19 If he should forget..I can but rub up his Memory with asking him.

1733 A. Pope Ess. Man: Epist. II 14 Ask your own Heart, and nothing is so plain.

1793 M. Wollstonecraft Let. 30 Dec. (2003) 236 Where shall I find a word to express the relationship which subsists between us?—Shall I ask the little twitcher?

1842 Ld. Tennyson Dora in Poems (new ed.) II. 39 I ask'd him, and he said, He could not ever rue his marrying me.

1880 T. G. Hake Maiden Ecstasy 5 She answers not, but seems to ask the sea And darkly pluming cloud.

1906 N.Y. Evening Post 8 Oct. 12 Ask the Aislemen and Elevator men.

1955 W. Faulkner Fable (U.K. ed.) 333 ‘Ask him,’ he said, indicating the driver.

1972 P. D. James Unsuitable Job iii. 90 If you want the inside dope on Garforth House, you should ask him.

2005 A. Smith Accidental 61 Eve, taking him aside before supper in the kitchen, quietly asking him.

b. transitive. With ‘saying’, etc., and the question (in direct speech). Now archaic.

ΚΠ

OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xii. 10 Hi ahsudon hyne þus cweðende [L. interrogabant eum dicentes], Ys hyt alyfed to hælenne [etc.].

OE West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) i. 19 Hi axsodon hine [c1200 Hatton axeden hym] & þus cwædon, Hwæt eart þu?

c1175 ( Ælfric's Homily on Nativity of Christ (Bodl. 343) in A. O. Belfour 12th Cent. Homilies in MS Bodl. 343 (1909) 78 Heo him [sc. Christ] axodon mid onde & cwæden [OE Julius axodon crist], ‘Sæȝe us, la! hwæt eart ðu?’

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Luke xxiii. 3 Forsothe Pilat axide him, seyinge [L. interrogavit eum dicens], Ert thou kyng of Jewis?

c1450 Medit. on Life of Christ (Michigan 1) 5 (MED) Sayn jon..haskede and sayd to our lorde, ‘who ys yt shall be tray þe?’

1530 Bible (Tyndale) Gen. iv. f. xxxi^v And I asked her saynge: whose doughter art thou?

1611 Bible (King James) John ix. 19 They asked them, saying, Is this your son?

1634 J. G. Kenmuir Last & Heavenly Speech (1703) 24 This Gentleman asked him, saying, my Lord, what Comfort hath your Soul in your love towards the Saints.

1777 Witty Exploits G. Buchanan (new ed.) i. 8 No sooner did he come before them, but they asked him, saying, ‘Well George, did you see any body to trouble you by the way?’

1822 Asiatic Jrnl. & Monthly Reg. Feb. 128/2 Sohrab asked him, saying, ‘is this proper..that the chiefs should..approach a world-governing sovereign, with their coronets on their heads?’

1905 H. T. Francis tr. Jātaka V. xxi. 246 After a friendly greeting Sutasoma asked him, saying, ‘Friend, you are tired with your journey. Whence have you come?’

1924 J. I. Eadie tr. Amharic Reader 34 The king being startled, thinking him ill, asked him saying, ‘What is it, are you well?’

2004 tr. W. Chafe in B. Swann Voices from Four Direct. iv. 528 Then he asked her, saying, ‘Grandmother, why is it that you don't eat potatoes?’

3. transitive. With double object (the person and the matter in question). To say or otherwise communicate (something) in order to obtain an answer or information from (someone).

a. With indirect or direct question as the second object.

ΚΠ

OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 172 Dyonisius þa axode þone ærendracan, ofwundrod: eart þu la se blinda?

OE West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) xxi. 12 Nan þæra þe þar sæt ne dorste hine axian hwæt he wære.

a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 35 Esca hine hwet he habbe biȝeten.

a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 25 Þe preost me walde eskien..hwa me scriue.

c1225 (?c1200) Sawles Warde (Bodl.) (1938) 24 He easkeð ham ȝef ham biluueð to heren him.

a1300 Passion our Lord 567 in R. Morris Old Eng. Misc. (1872) 53 Vre louerd hire gon axi, for hwi and for hwan Wepestu?

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 26465 I hask þe þen if it be nede.

c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xviii. l. 294 I haue..hym..yasked Where he were god.

a1450 St. Edith (Faust.) (1883) l. 3758 &, how he was..he dude hym asshe.

?a1500 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 15th Cent. (1939) 6 I yow ix qwen sal þu ris?

1545 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes (new ed.) f. lxvv Aske my fellawe if I be a thefe.

1584 R. Wilson Three Ladies of London sig. Cii My Ladie axes you when you will take possession of your house.

1611 Bible (King James) John xxi. 12 None of the disciples durst aske him, Who art thou?

1690 Athenian Mercury 31 Mar. 1/1 We be asked why the Mediterranean, West-Indian and Caspian Seas, and the Magellanick Streights have not their Tide?

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 10. ¶5 I have heard them asking the first Man they have met with, whether there was any News stirring?

1760 H. Walpole Let. 14 Oct. in Corr. with G. Montagu (1941) I. 308 Fitzroy asked him if he thought they crossed the great American lakes in such little boats as one goes in to Vauxhall?

1817 S. T. Coleridge Coll. Lett. (1959) IV. 745 At length [I] asked him—Have you yourself seen any of these wonder-works?

1849 C. Dickens David Copperfield (1850) xxi. 212 I..asked him what o'clock it was.

1882 Cent. Mag. Nov. 53/1 I asked him why the Old Church did not sometimes invite their neighbors to their festivities?

1938 G. Greene Brighton Rock i. iii. 42 I'd like to have asked them why he left me like that.

1963 ‘J. le Carré’ Spy who came in from Cold xi. 101 And then I asked him, ‘Is this goodbye?’.

2010 N.Y. Mag. 24 May 22/1 He was in ‘a crew’, he says. I ask him what that entailed.

b. With the word question as the second object, or a pronoun (as this) with a question as referent, or an indefinite pronoun (as something).In Old English typically with the second object in the genitive.

ΚΠ

eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) iv. iii. 266 Min fæder, mot ic þe ohtes ahsian?

OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xxii. 46 Ne nan ne dorste of ðam dæge hyne nan þing mare axigean [OE Rushw. geascigan, c1200 Hatton axien; L. interrogare].

c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham Poems (1902) 131 Ich acsy þe a questioun.

c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 489 Yow loueris axe I now this questioun.

c1440 Prose Life Alexander (Thornton) (1913) 34 (MED) To asche þam certane questyons.

1532 T. More Confut. Tyndale in Wks. 427/1 I aske hym thys why: Why dydde he translate the same by thys englyshe woorde elder?

1581 B. Rich Farewell Militarie Profession sig. Bbiv Lette me aske you this question, doe you knowe my father, or naie.

1611 Bible (King James) Jer. xxxviii. 14 I will aske thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iv. i. 14 Aske him some questions in his Accidence.

1653 H. Cogan tr. F. M. Pinto Voy. & Adventures lviii. 231 He prayed him to give him leave to ask him something.

1671 H. M. tr. Erasmus Colloquies 226 I much wonder that now thou thinkest on at last to ask me that.

1737 L. Clarke Compl. Hist. Bible II. v. 139 At last..Jesus was pleased to ask them a Question.

1796 G. Walpole in B. Edwards Proc. Maroon Negroes 19 Should there be any person so dull..as to think that another turn of the screw would be better, ask him this question.

1826 W. Hazlitt Plain Speaker II. 168 Ask him a question, ever so little out of the common road, and he stares you in the face.

1888 ‘M. Twain’ Meisterschaft 459 Whoever may ask us a Meisterschaft question shall get a Meisterschaft answer—and hot from the bat!

1921 Z. Grey Call of Canyon iv. 92 She never would have asked him that if she had not known she could bear inspection at such an inopportune moment.

1973 P. O'Brian HMS Surprise viii. 210 Stephen had asked him a question, and was waiting for an answer.

2003 N. Rush Mortals iii. 23 She mocks me when I freeze in mid-act when she asks me something.

c. With the question indicated by a noun denoting its content, as the way, a name, a person's age, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > find out, discover [verb (transitive)] > by asking or enquiring

askOE

speer1390

to get out1530

hark1561

hearken1590

outlearn1596

elicitate1642

elicita1676

OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 240 Martinus..axode smealice þa yldostan preostas þæs martyres naman.

a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 386 (MED) Þe disciples..axede him þe stat of þe temple.

c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. xi. l. 111 (MED) I..askede hire þe heiȝe wey wher Clergye dwelleþ.

c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Squire's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 301 The kyng axeth this knyght The vertu of this Courser.

a1533 J. Frith Mirroure (?1536) iii. sig. Bi When he sawe the shepharde so sore lamentynge, he reynde his horse & asked him the cause of his greate waylyng.

1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II i. iii. 9 Aske him his name.

1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xxiv. 115 Aske him his purposes why he appeares Vpon this call oth' trumpet.

1665 R. Head Eng. Rogue I. xii. 111 As I was asking him the way to such a place, not caring what, I happily secured a penny loaf.

1671 J. Eachard Some Observ. Answer to Grounds Contempt of Clergy 183 Twisting the Ends of his Girdle, and asking him the price of his Brimmer.

1711 A. Pope Ess. Crit. 26 Ask them the Cause.

1784 S. Johnson Let. 27 Mar. in J. Boswell Life Johnson (1791) II. 485 He was not much less than eighty, when to a man of rank who modestly asked him his age, he answered, ‘Go look.’

1830 R. Dawson Present State Austral. v. 201 I asked him..the reason of his having been ‘turned in’..to government.

1862 G. Borrow Wild Wales III. v. 41 I asked her her maiden name.

1894 Trenton (New Jersey) Times 8 Jan. A reporter asked him the latest news from Honolulu.

1948 J. Maresca My Flag is Down xi. 70 Finally I..ask her her destination.

1967 T. White Jewels of Elsewhen ix. 83 They asked me the time and place.

2001 I. McEwan Atonement 328 She would have asked him the way to the nearest café.

4. intransitive. With preposition. To enquire in order to learn about.

a. With about, †of; (also in Old English) †by, †umbe.Cf. also sense 6c(b).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > make inquiries [verb (intransitive)]

speerc888

fraynec900

askOE

inquirec1375

demand1382

fraista1400

enspeerc1440

hearken1523

question1584

interrogate1622

query1644

OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Deut. (Claud.) iv. 32 Axiað [OE Laud ahsiað] be ealdon dagon ðe wæron ær þonne ge.

lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) (2009) I. xxxix. 361 Se þe ymb þæt ascian [eOE Otho acsian] wile.

c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) 711 Wi axestu of craftes mine.

?c1530 in F. J. Furnivall Polit., Relig., & Love Poems (1903) 58 A nobyll and a wurshipfull hert nevyr askyth of womens dedys.

1590 J. Thorius tr. A. del Corro Spanish Grammer 36 These pronounes..many times are put in the neuter gender, as for example. When we aske about some thing that is happened.

1667 N. Fairfax Let. 5 Dec. in H. Oldenburg Corr. (1967) IV. 14 I askt about it & was answerd by a good Tiller thus.

1744 M. Bishop Life Matthew Bishop 137 I..was very inquisitive in asking about every particular Thing that was worth my Observation.

1823 M. Graham Jrnl. 18 Sept. in Captain's Wife (1993) 166 I went to-day to the public library to ask about some books.

1893 ‘M. Twain’ in Authors Club Bk. I. 158 I only just dropped over to ask about the little madam.

1956 H. Macmillan Diary 25 Apr. (2003) 553 Our Labour friends asked about the fate of the Social Democrats, now in prison in Russia and the Satellite states, and got a very dusty answer.

1991 Sci. Amer. Apr. 85/3 A personality test that asks about their attitudes toward a variety of situations.

2009 E. Wyld After Fire, Still Small Voice (2010) xvii. 185 He wished he'd..asked about sharking, as if he knew something on the subject himself.

b. With after. esp. To enquire for news (of); spec. (British) to enquire for news of a person with regard to his or her health or well-being. Cf. sense 5b.

ΚΠ

eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. xxx. 531 Hwy ge nyllen ascian æfter þæm wisum monnum & æfter þæm weorðgeornum, hwylce hi wæron þa þe ær eow wæron?

OE tr. Apollonius of Tyre (1958) xv. 24 Gif ðu for neode axsast æfter minum namon, ic secge þe ic hine forleas on sæ.

a1250 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Nero) (1952) 76 Axinde efter tiðinges.

c1300 St. Alban (Laud) l. 24 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 68 (MED) To seint Albon huy comen and echsten after him þere.

c1330 (c1250) Floris & Blauncheflur (Auch.) (1966) l. 601 (MED) Þe Ameral asked after Blauncheflour, Whi and wharfore ȝhe ne come.

c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. v. l. 543 I seygh neuere palmere..Axen after hym.

c1450 King Ponthus (Digby) in Publ. Mod. Lang. Assoc. Amer. (1897) 12 47 (MED) Barnard come to the courte and asked aftre fayr Sydon.

1529 T. More Dyaloge Dyuers Maters iii. v. f lxxvii^v/2 How many bulles q I and bryefys haue ye sene that cam thense. By our lady q he bullys very few, and bryfe neuer non, for I neuer aske after them.

1586 R. Crowley Fryer Iohn Frauncis: Replication to Lewde Aunswere f. 3^v Come to Paris in Fraunce, and aske after the Minimes Fryers at Nigeon, so shall you finde me.

1603 R. Rogers Seuen Treat. ii. iv. 91 Then their hearts turne, and aske after him: then they desire to know more of his will and mind.

1677 E. Pococke Comm. Malachi iii. 51 Others did in scoff ask after him, or murmure at his delay.

1736 Gentleman's Mag. Oct. 608/2 When asking after him, I was told he was well and that was all.

1795 C. Smith Montalbert III. xxxii. 144 Asking after Mrs. Blagham, she invited him in.

a1817 J. Austen Persuasion (1818) IV. ix. 169 I need not ask after her. She never misses, I know; and you must have seen her.

1867 G. MacDonald Ann. Quiet Neighbourhood III. vii. 168 To ask after their health when he met them.

1915 C. S. Churchill Let. 15 Dec. in W. S. Churchill & C. S. Churchill Speaking for Themselves (1999) vi. 134 The P.M. snuffled & asked after you & asked if you were happy.

1964 R. Church Voy. Home ii. 28 Whenever I asked after his permanently ailing wife, he beamed with benevolence.

2001 Y. Martel Life of Pi xxix. 78 The monkeys never asked after the news from Delhi; the rhinos and goats continued to live in peace.

c. With for. esp. (a) To request to see or speak to (a person); (b) (now Scottish) to enquire about (a person) with regard to his or her health or well-being, to ask after. Cf. sense 13.

ΚΠ

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. l. 2290 He asked for his archere, Walter Tirelle was haten maister of þat mister.

1534 N. Udall Floures for Latine Spekynge gathered oute of Terence f. 31 Menè quaeris, doest thou aske for me? or, dost thou seke me? or woldest thou haue me?

1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Caue inquisitioni ne mihi sis Se that thou be at home and driue me not to inquire and aske about for thee.

1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost iii. i. 162 And Rosaline they call her, aske for her.

1623 J. Bingham tr. Xenophon Hist. 30 They, after they came to our out-guards, asked for the Coronels.

1653 J. Lilburne Revived 9* With my true love to all the honest Sea-green blades, that in your quarters shall aske for me.

1671 in W. Fraser Red Bk. Grandtully (1868) II. 205 My Lord Advocat asked for you, and whither or not ye were maried.

1731 tr. R. Grotshead Test. Twelve Patriarchs 128 They hearing this, went and asked for me, saying, that they had bought me for money.

1778 J. R. Forster Observ. Voy. round World 6 We asked for its native place, and they called it Poēnamoo.

1820 Times 27 June 1/2 (advt.) For further particulars ask for Jack, at Mr. N. Benett's skin-yard, Bevis-marks.

1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 15 I saw the captain yesterday, he asked for George.

1913 F. Niven Ellen Adair xi. 132 Only vulgar people used the phrase ‘Tell her I was asking for her’.

1958 G. Greene Our Man in Havana i. iii. 31 Don't ask for me at the desk.

1984 M. Trotter Let. ?Dec. (SCOTS) I do hope we manage to see one another soon. Tell Chrissie we were asking for her.

2012 J. Thayil Narcopolis i. v. 67 I could have asked for a doctor.

5. transitive. With a person as object and the matter in question introduced by a preposition. To enquire of (a person) in order to learn about.

a. With about, of; (also in Old English) †by, †umbe.

ΚΠ

eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. xxix. 519 Ic wolde get þæt þu me hwæthwugu openlicor gereahte be ðære wisan.., þæt is þæt ic ðe ær ymb acsode.

OE West Saxon Gospels: Luke (Corpus Cambr.) ix. 45 Hi ne dorston hine be þam worde ahsian.

a1250 (?c1200) Hali Meiðhad (Titus) (1940) 96 Aske þes cwenes..of hare liflade.

c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) 29 Heo..eschte him of Engelonde, and of the manere there.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 1294 He..asked him of his errand.

1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 54 Thauncient man axid one of the marronners of thys matere.

1533 J. More tr. D. de Góis Legacye Prester Iohn f. 24^v Alfonsus began to aske hym of his legacy.

c1580 ( tr. Bk. Alexander (1927) III. ii. l. 6392 To Lyonell syne went thay all And asked him of his effere.

1611 W. Vaughan Spirit of Detraction vi. xii. 274 They asked him about the blind man.

a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) iv. iii. 286 Why do's he aske him of me?

1697 E. Ravenscroft Anatomist i. ii. 10 He has askt me of my Father and my Mother.

1824 Triumphal Arch 63 I've seen him bind up a poor soldier's wound and ask him about his wife and children.

1842 Ld. Tennyson Edwin Morris 23 Once I ask'd him of his early life.

1887 Temple Bar Dec. 512 ‘Something did come down here,’ I managed to articulate; ‘but don't ask me about it.’

1916 H. G. Wells Mr. Britling sees it Through ii. 51 Herr Heinrich asked him of his position, whether he was above or below..Mr. Garvin or any other publicist.

1975 S. Zukin Beyond Marx & Tito iv. 126 When I ask her about her non-involvement in political life, she says, I'm just a little fish.

2013 Daily Tel. 1 Apr. 13/1 This newspaper knocked on his front door to ask him about the development.

†b. With after. Cf. sense 4b. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. xxix. 519 Swa is ðisse spræce þe þu me æfter acsast [lOE Bodl. æfter ascast].

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Miller's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 475 This parissh clerk..axed..a Cloistrer Ful pryuely after Iohn the Carpenter.

1760 G. A. Stevens Hist. Tom Fool I. xxvi. 175 I think I know a Thing, or two,—I think I do,—only ask Tomkyns after me; and if he says I'm to be had,..gi'me an Angel, and I'll give you 500.

1793 J. O'Keeffe London Hermit i. 4 Old Pranks. So, you've pick'd up the mocusses in the Indies!.. Never look'd after me. Whimmy. I ask'd every body after you.

†c. With for. Cf. sense 4c. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 ii. iv. 363 Knocking at the Tauernes, And asking euery one for sir Iohn Falstaffe.

1621 M. Wroth Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania 125 Heauily and afflictedly hee pass'd on by the Sea side, till hee mette the Squier of Leandrus, who ioyfully asked him for his Lord.

6. With the person asked introduced by a preposition.

†a. With at. Scottish in later use.

(a) intransitive. To enquire of, put a question to. Obsolete.In quot. OE with by (i.e. about) a matter.

ΚΠ

OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 30 Hi axoden æt wyccum and æt wisum dryum, eac æt heora leasum godum be þære godes þinene.

1540 Bible (Great) 2 Chron. xviii. 1 Iehosephat sayde: is there yet here neuer a prophet more of the Lordes, that we myght aske at [1539 aske of] hym?

1600 E. Fairfax tr. T. Tasso Godfrey of Bulloigne viii. liii. 152 To spie at whom to aske we gazed round.

(b) transitive. To put (a question) to. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 367 Hii esste [a1400 Trin. Cambr. eschte, ?a1425 Digby asked, c1425 Harl. aschede, a1450 London Univ. askyd] anon at corineus, hou hii so hardi were.

c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 924 Als Abraham..hit at himself asked.

a1425 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Corpus Cambr. 61) (1894) ii. l. 894 Men moste axe at [a1413 Pierpont Morgan of] seyntes if it is Aught faire in heuene.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Ecclus. xxi. 17 It is axed at the mouth of the wyse.

1582 T. Bentley Seuenth Lampe Virginitie in Sixt Lampe Virginitie 178 They asking no questions at her: but making their prayer vnto God for her, let her goe.

1631 R. Bruce Centure in W. Cunningham Sermons (1843) 192 He asked at the Earl what would make a woman part with Child?

1668 J. Menzies Papismus Lucifugus To Rdr. sig. †††††4^v The Reply which Sir Francis Bacon gave to King James, when he asked at him whether the Pope were the Antichrist.

1683 J. Erskine Jrnl. 7 June (1893) 2 Mr Gordon, the clerk, asked at some if they thought Bothwell a rebellion.

1711 in C. A. Malcolm Minutes Justices of Peace Lanarkshire (1931) 65 He asked att Bailie Howesone whither he would have him to goe away.

1753 Trial J. Stewart 197 To ask any question at Allan Breck about the murder, which he now related to them.

1824 W. Scott Redgauntlet II. xii. 279 [I] wish to remain at perfect freedom to answer, if asked at, that I ken nothing of the matter.

1843 A. Bethune Sc. Peasant's Fire-side 47 ‘Why do you ask that question at me?’

1882 Trans. Mining Inst. Scotl. 1881–82 3 12 When I asked the question at him it was merely for the sake of obtaining information.

†b. transitive. With to. To put (a question) to. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 43 Þa escade paul to mihhal hwet þe alde mon were.

c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 859 Þan oxed anon sir Gij To þe barouns þat oned him bi: ‘What is he, þat ich kniȝt, Þat out of þe renge haþ him diȝt, Wiþ þo armes briȝt & schene?’

1484 W. Caxton tr. G. de la Tour-Landry Bk. Knight of Tower (1971) xlvii. 69 Askyng to her, why she had trespaced his commaundement.

1593 G. Gifford Dialogue Witches sig. K^v Why needed he aske to her if he did know?

1640 J. Burroughs Sea Mans Direct. sig. G3^v If thou wouldest aske the question to thine owne heart for what cause is it that it is so dreadfull the answere will be, [etc.].

1663 B. Gerbier Counsel to Builders 13 Asking to passengers what weather it was without doores.

c. With of.

(a) transitive. To put (a question) to. Also intransitive with object understood.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > ask, enquire [verb (transitive)] > of someone

fraynea800

of-askOE

askc1330

fraista1400

requirec1400

inquirec1430

c1330 Sir Orfeo (Auch.) (1966) l. 450 Now aske of me what it be.

c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 1124 Þe Amyral of hym axeth..wat tydynge þay had y-broȝt.

c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. i. l. 47 (MED) God..asked of hem, of whom spac þe lettre.

?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 40 I asked of the monkes..how this befell.

a1500 (?c1450) Merlin 36 Axe of hem whi that that toure fill.

c1525 W. Walter tr. G. Boccaccio Tytus & Gesyppus sig. A.iii^v From his frende Tytus he seldome went But often asked of hym in counsayle What thynge myght best for his sorowe preuayle.

1532 T. More Confut. Tyndale in Wks. 427/1 But I aske of Tyndall no such farre fet whyes, but a why of hys owne dede.

1562 W. Turner 2nd Pt. Herball f. 51 The sherif axed diligently of them..what they had done.

1570 J. Foxe tr. M. Luther in Actes & Monuments (rev. ed.) II. 1473/2 I aske of you,..whiche make these Articles respectiuely, some to be hereticall, some erroneous.

1602 W. Watson Decacordon Ten Quodlibeticall Questions 341 If you aske of the Mathematician, how to passe betwixt two periods, he will tell you that [etc.].

1611 Bible (King James) 1 Sam. xxviii. 16 Wherefore then doest thou aske of me?

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 957 [One] of whom to ask Which way the neerest coast of darkness lyes.

1696 P. Ayres Revengeful Mistress 90 Scarce had Don Feliz the patience either to answer, or to ask any Questions of him, so overjoyed was he at the News.

1737 A. Pope Epist. of Horace ii. ii. 14 I ask these sober questions of my Heart.

1756 E. Burke Vindic. Nat. Society 86 Ask of Politicians the End for which Laws were originally designed; and they will answer, [etc.] .

1823 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto XI xli. 123 Pray ask of your next neighbour,..If he found not this spawn of tax-born riches, Like lap-dogs, the least civil sons of b——s.

1884 Graphic 15 Nov. 518/2 These were, of course, very touchy subjects to ask of courtiers.

1953 R. Chandler Long Good-bye xlvi. 285 It asked questions—the kind a newspaper asks of public officials when they are caught with jam on their faces.

2003 Observer 1 June i. 31/6 Why not ask this of the 0.3 per cent of the population who clutch and giggle at each other so delightedly when we show the boat race.

†(b) intransitive. To enquire of a person of a matter. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. xxi. l. 127 Ayþer axed of oþer of þis grete wonder.

a1500 (a1450) Generides (Trin. Cambr.) l. 309 He axkid of Medeyn Of his ffader.

†7.

a. transitive. To enquire into, examine, investigate (an object of enquiry). Also intransitive with object understood. Obsolete.In Old English also with genitive.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > investigate, examine [verb (transitive)]

underseekc897

speerc900

lookeOE

askOE

seeOE

teem witnessc1200

seeka1300

fand13..

inquirec1300

undergoc1315

visit1338

pursuea1382

searcha1382

examinec1384

assay1387

ensearchc1400

vesteyea1425

to have in waitc1440

perpend1447

to bring witnessc1475

vey1512

investigate?1520

recounta1530

to call into (also in) question1534

finger1546

rip1549

sight1556

vestigatea1561

to look into ——1561

require1563

descry?1567

sound1579

question1590

resolve1593

surview1601

undersearch1609

sift1611

disquire1621

indagate1623

inspect1623

pierce1640

shrive1647

in-looka1649

probe1649

incern1656

quaeritate1657

inquisite1674

reconnoitre1740

explore1774

to bring to book1786

look-see1867

scrutate1882

to shake down1915

sleuth1939

screen1942

the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > investigate, inspect [verb (intransitive)]

inquirec1330

aska1382

ensearch1382

questiona1500

investigate?1520

vestigatea1561

to look into ——1561

perpend1568

mouse1575

rake1603

undergo1605

fathom1607

ravel1618

examine1628

inquisition1644

to cast abouta1676

inspect1703

sound1793

disquisitea1823

look-see1862

to cast about one1867

OE Order of World 17 Forþon scyle ascian, se þe on elne leofað, deophydig mon, dygelra gesceafta.

OE King Ælfred tr. Psalms (Paris) (2001) x. 5 His bræwas (þæt ys his rihta dom) ahsað manna bearn. Se ylca Drihten ahsað rihtwise and unrihtwise.

c1350 Psalter (BL Add. 17376) in K. D. Bülbring Earliest Compl. Eng. Prose Psalter (1891) x. 5 Hys eȝen loken to þe pouer in gost; his eȝeliddes asken [L. interrogant] þe childer of me[n].

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. xi. 7 Beforn that thou aske, ne blame thou any man.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Psalms x. 5 The eȝelidis of hym asken [1611 King James trie] the sones of men. The Lord asketh the riȝtwis man, and the vnpitous.

a1500 (c1340) R. Rolle Psalter (Univ. Oxf. 64) (1884) x. 5 (MED) His eghe lidys..askis, that is proues, sonnes of men.

1557 R. Edgeworth Serm. very Fruitfull xv f. ccxlii Aske the eyes of the carnal and fleshly man, & they will say they be fowle deathes, & ill deathes. But examine & aske the eyes of our faithe & they wyll iudge them and cal them fayre deathes.

b. intransitive. With on. To enquire of (a person) in court, cross-examine. Obsolete. rare.

ΚΠ

1612 Araignm. Iohn Selman 14 Sir Francis Bacon..proceeded to judgment and asking on the prisoner, thus..hee spake.

†8. transitive. To find out or learn, esp. by enquiry; to hear tell. Also with object and complement. Obsolete.In quot. OE² with reflexive dative. In quot. c1175 intransitive with umbe. [Quot. a1225 may instead show a reflex of the Old English prefixed verb geāscian: see etymology section.]

ΚΠ

OE tr. Felix St. Guthlac (Vesp.) (1909) xii. 147 Hi þa sona, þa hi þær þone halgan wer acsodon, þohton, þæt hi woldon þær þone man gebringan.

OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Corpus Cambr.) (1900) i. Introd. 8 Þa wisan, þe ic me acsode [OE Otho geacsode, OE Hatton geaxode] æt sægene arwurþra wera, untwygendlice ic þe þa secge mid bysene þære halgan ealdorlicnysse.

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 755 Þa acsode [eOE Parker geacsode, other MSS geahsode] he þone cining lyt wyrede on wifcyððan on Merantune.

c1175 ( Ælfric Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 19 Ða axode þe underkyng embe þæs Hælendes fær, þæt he from Iudea londe com to Galileam.

a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 35 He heo wat ðurh þet..he heo hafð i-escad oðer hafð ifunden on boke.

9. intransitive. Without construction. To make an enquiry, to pose a question.

ΚΠ

lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) (2009) I. xxxv. 330 Nis nan swa swiðe bedæled ryhtwisnesse þæt he nan ryht andwyrde nyte gif mon acsað.

1644 J. Milton Areopagitica 1 Which though I stay not to confesse ere any aske.

1685 Factious Citizen v. 73 Mad. Wo. You are not ma[r]ried, are you?—Sne. Why do you ask?

1704 J. Harris Lexicon Technicum I. at Potential Mood Rogare potest, a Man may ask.

1801 M. Culley Let. 20 Nov. in M. Culley & G. Culley Farming Lett. (2006) 205 Ask and give us your opinion which are best.

1841 C. Dickens Barnaby Rudge xvii. 27 Do not stop to ask. I will not answer.

1878 in G. P. Lathrop Masque of Poets 101 The guest Half paused to ask in idle quest.

1920 R. A. Freeman Savant's Vendetta i. 3 I'm only asking from curiosity.

1996 M. K. Blakely Red, White, & oh so Blue 46 Those ‘moments of being’ that prompted the desire to explain, to Ask and Tell.

10. To turn (a question) over in one's mind; to consider with a view to reaching a conclusion.

a. transitive (reflexive). With indirect or, less commonly, direct question as second object. [In some uses perhaps influenced by French se demander to ask oneself, to wonder.]

ΚΠ

a1450 (a1401) Chastising of God's Children (Bodl.) (1957) 155 Ȝe shullen þenke þanne or aske ȝoursilf, of whom haue ȝe þis wil and þis mercyful herte?

1549 J. Proctor Fal of Late Arrian sig. M.ii^v S. Austen byddeth you to aske your selfe, how your selfe but one man can haue in your selfe .ii. dyuers and sundry natures inconfusely existynge.

1557 W. Peryn Spirituall Exercyses sig. K.vii^v Aske thy selfe, yf thou were sure that thou shouldest neuer come in heauen [etc.].

1565 A. Nowell Reproufe f. 49^v As if one would saie aske my self whether I bee a theefe, or no.

1605 A. Warren Poore Mans Passions H 2 I dare not call thee Asse, but aske thy selfe, What eares thou hast.

1650 Exercitation Answered 7 It might well have become the Exercitator..to have askt himself before he began this work, Who made him a Judge or a Rule-maker over the Commons in Parliament?

1663 J. Spencer Disc. Prodigies (1665) 401 Persons..that use not to believe without asking themselves why.

a1716 R. South Serm. Several Occasions (1744) XI. 149 Let him impartially ask himself..what evidences he has of his..interest in the second covenant.

1767 C. Macklin Let. 25 Aug. in R. B. Peake Mem. Colman Family (1841) II. 268 Let me advise you to ask yourself if such a measure would be wise in you as a manager.

1796 F. Burney Camilla II. 360 Tell me, and ask yourself strictly, would you change with Indiana?

1817 S. T. Coleridge Biographia Literaria I. ix. 136 I began to ask myself; is a system of philosophy..possible?

1865 F. Marryat Love's Conflict I. xix. 328 She herself never stopped..to ask herself why or wherefore she felt thus.

1902 H. James Wings of Dove I. xi. 247 ‘Is it the way she looks to him?’ she asked herself.

1960 A. West Trend is Up vii. 298 He had never thought of asking himself what she was, inside of the hard shell of her disguise as the party girl who would go the limit for fun.

1995 Face Jan. 22 First you wake up, hungover. Then you ask yourself why you partook of whatever intoxicant it was that did this to you.

b. transitive (reflexive). With the word question (or a noun indicating the content of the question) as object, or a pronoun (as this) with a question as referent, or an indefinite pronoun (as something).

ΚΠ

1548 N. Lesse tr. F. Lambert Minde & Iudgem. f. xxvii Let euery man aske him selfe this question in that uicious affection wherto he is most inclyned.

1689 R. Gould Poems 207 Asks himself Questions which he ne'r can solve.

1739 D. Hume Treat. Human Nature I. iv. 414 For shou'd we ask ourselves one obvious question, viz. if [etc.].

1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice III. ii. 50 Elizabeth was pleased, though, when she asked herself the reason, she had very little to say in reply.

1862 Times 11 Apr. 12/2 Let him soberly ask himself the question whether such a re-cemented Union can ever last.

1898 Argosy July 727 The conundrum he asked himself seemed to bother him.

1932 K. A. Potter Let. 21 Oct. (1990) ii. 84 Why did he? I ask myself this, and can answer only in part.

1991 Newsweek 11 Nov. 74/1 What do women want? Network programmers have been asking themselves that ever since they discovered that sponsors regard female viewers as their prime targets.

2013 T. Chambers Mother's Words of Wisdom p. xxiii I want you to ask yourself something. Ask yourself how [etc.].

c. transitive (reflexive). With the matter in question introduced by about.

ΚΠ

1667 W. Walker Preciousness Christ 29 Let me put a few Queries into your mouths to ask your selves about this businesse, when you are at your best leisures.

1884 H. H. Almond Diffic. Health Reformers (LSE Sel. Pamphlets) 152 If any one will get into the mental habit of asking himself about all matters public or private,..he will [etc.].

1933 D. L. Sayers Murder must Advertise iv. 69 Do you ever ask yourself about Body-Odour?

1979 P. Foot in T. Honderich & M. Burnyeat Philos. as it Is 15 Philosophers..must ask themselves about the status of what we might call ‘elective principles’ used in forming moral judgements.

2014 M. Kallet Think Smarter ii. ix. 60 Anticipate that they are asking themselves about what you are like.

II. With a thing desired as the goal. See also branch V.

11.

a. transitive. To say that one wants, request that one be given (something); to ask for (cf. sense 13). Also in extended use: to expect or require.In quot. OE with the thing wanted in the genitive.Except in early use, the thing requested is normally abstract, ask for (see sense 11b) being more usual when the thing requested is concrete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)]

yearnOE

bid971

seek971

askOE

beseechc1175

banc1275

yerec1275

cravec1300

desirec1330

impetrec1374

praya1382

nurnc1400

pleadc1400

require1400

fraynec1430

proke1440

requisitea1475

wishc1515

supply1546

request1549

implore?c1550

to speak for ——1560

entreat1565

impetratec1565

obtest?1577

solicit1595

invoke1617

mendicate1618

petition1621

imprecate1636

conjurea1704

speer1724

canvass1768

kick1792

I will thank you to do so-and-so1813

quest1897

to hit a person up for1917

OE Ælfric Old Test. Summary: Kings (Julius) in W. W. Skeat Ælfric's Lives of Saints (1881) I. 398 Hwæt la, nis se ælmihtiga God on Israhela ðeode, and ge farað to hæðengilde eowre hæle to axienne?

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 54 Good is þet ȝe aske red & bidden him þet he teache ou to ȝeines fondunges.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1668 Aske it wið skil and ðu salt hauen.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 114 Iesu crist ous tekþ zuo to oxi uoryeuenesse.

c1390 in F. J. Furnivall Minor Poems Vernon MS (1901) ii. 506 Let him not his offryng asch.

a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) v. l. 594 I naxe in guerdon but a bone.

c1475 (?c1425) Avowing of King Arthur (1984) l. 86 Thenne þe kyng asshet a chekkere.

a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xxi. 267 That is it that I ast.

?1504 W. Atkinson tr. Thomas à Kempis Ful Treat. Imytacyon Cryste (Pynson) iii. lix. sig. Pi^v Grace seketh nat any temporal thynge: nor it asketh none other thing but god allon for rewarde: nor it asketh no more of temporall thinges.

1509 S. Hawes Conuercyon Swerers (de Worde) sig. A.v Come nowe to me and axe forgyuenes.

a1547 J. Redford Wit & Sci. (1951) 9 I axe no more.

1595 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 ii. vi. 69 Clifford, aske mercie.

1644 J. Milton Areopagitica 37 Asking licence to doe so worthy a deed.

1688 Song in J. Barker Poet. Recreations ii. 147 A Pensive Shepherd ask'd advice, And their Opinions crav'd, How he might hope to be so wise, To get a place beyond the Skies.

1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 6. ⁋2 The beggar disabled himself in his Right Leg, and asks Alms all Day.

1733 J. Swift Let. 8 Jan. in Wks. (1801) XIII. 21 He asks nothing; and thinks, like a philosopher, that he wants nothing.

1789 T. Jefferson Let. 11 Mar. in Writings (1855) II. 581 My letters asking leave of absence were not then arrived.

1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxvii. 277 Ask a blessin', Mr. Stiggins.

1859 Ld. Tennyson Vivien in Idylls of King 109 Ask your boon, for boon I owe you.

1899 K. Chopin Awakening xxv. 195 Arobin asked permission to enter for a second to light his cigarette.

1917 E. R. Burroughs Princess of Mars xxii. 262 I do not need ask your forgiveness now.

1962 G. Brantl Catholicism v. 112 In Christ..man renders to God infinite homage, obtains grace, asks assistance and propitiates for sin.

1998 K. Lette Altar Ego (1999) xxi. 195 I knew it was asking a lot.

b. To ask for (something) as by right; to call for, demand.Essentially a contextual use of sense 11a.

†(a) transitive. gen. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > command > command or bidding > command [verb (transitive)] > demand

bid971

ofgoOE

askOE

cravec1025

to call after ——?a1300

requirea1382

callc1430

protest1459

to call for ——1479

demand1489

speer1493

command1576

to put (also place, call, etc.) in (or into) requisition1831

requisition1874

OE Homily (Corpus Cambr. 162) in H. L. C. Tristram Vier Altenglische Predigten aus der Heterodoxen Trad. (Ph.D. diss., Freiburg) (1970) 164 Mid eall swa micclum wuldre he eow eft to cymð, on ðam micclan domesdæge, to ðam þæt he wile secan and acsian þa befæstan gestreonu.

a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 105 Iusticia..acseð riht of alle ure misdades and dom.

c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 3849 (MED) He oxed his armes hastiliche, And men es him brouȝt sikerliche.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) Prol. l. 960 Thei axen alle jugement Ayein the man.

c1440 Sir Degrevant (Thornton) (1949) l. 409 He askes [a1500 Cambr. axit] justyng of were, And prayes the of answere.

a1450 Generides (Pierpont Morgan) (1865) l. 4795 His hors he ashed..his wey he nam.

1509 A. Barclay Brant's Shyp of Folys (Pynson) f. lix^v Nought..to asshe agaynst right.

1542 T. Elyot Bibliotheca Nomina exigere, to aske dettes or sue dettours.

1544 J. Bale Brefe Chron. Syr J. Oldcastell in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) I. 258 God will axe no more of a Christen beleuer..but only to obey the preceptes of that moost blessed lawe.

1574 J. Baret Aluearie A 517 To aske againe that is ones owne, or in a maner due to him. Reposco.

1619 J. Taylor Kicksey Winsey sig. A6 As often as I meete them, I doe looke that they should pay mee: and although I am shamefaste in not asking my due, yet I would not haue them shamelesse in detaining it from me.

1679 Usury Stated 220 Men can now adays, with as great confidence deny him that asks a Debt, as they do him that asks an Almes.

1700 Eng. Acquisitions Guinea & E.-India 129 For asking their Pay, the Treasurer of the Army made them this churlish Answer, There is scarce Money enough to pay the Roman and Grecian Soldiers.

1757 H. Laurens Let. 3 Mar. in Papers (1970) II. 482 We thought it necessary for our own Security to ask of him a bottom Bill or a Transfer of part of his freight.

(b) transitive. In to ask (an) account (also (a) reckoning), to ask accounts. Now literary.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > demand

calla1300

yeiec1320

to ask account?c1450

to call for ——1479

demand1484

inquirea1513

expostulate1548

advocatea1575

to stand upon ——1577

postulate1605

to stand on ——1606

bespeak1677

to put (also place, call, etc.) in (or into) requisition1831

requisition1874

?c1450 tr. Bk. Knight of La Tour Landry (1906) 59 Of the whiche God will axse hem acompte [Fr. Dieux leur demandera compte].

1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. ccclxxxiii. 645 They wolde aske accomptes of the Chancellour of Englande [Fr. ils vouloient compter au chancelier d'Angleterre] to knowe where all the good was become that he had leuyed through the realme.

1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Gloucester xxi. 5 To axe a reckening of the Realmes reuenue.

1600 C. Edmondes Obseruations Fiue Bks. Caesars Comm. v. 182 If any mischance happen vnto them, they shall aske account thereof at thy hands.

1695 P. Hume Annot. Paradise Lost vii. 214 Impertinent and daring Men, who..would..ask an account of that Almighty Will, which created all Things how and when he pleas'd.

1721 J. Strype Eccl. Memorials II. i. 328 The French King should ask reckoning of Albright of that he had branskated.

1762 tr. J. B. Bossuet Hist. France I. vii. 253 As he was asking accounts of the king of France, he saw a body of cavalry appearing.

1819 W. Scott Ivanhoe (1820) xxiv. 214 He..has no right to ask reckoning at the hands of good men of noble blood.

1858 W. M. Gwin in Calif. Hist. Soc. Q. (1940) 19 271 As a senator of that State, I am here to ask an account of the blood of my constituents.

1870 tr. V. Hugo Destroyer of Second Republic iv. i. 177 The French people..took into their heads to demand accounts from the monarchy, to ask accounts from Providence, and to settle for these eight centuries of misery.

1911 Smart Set Nov. 36/1 She kept wondering miserably what she should do if Paul asked a reckoning at her hands.

1981 tr. R. Gómez de la Serna in T. Running Borges' Ultraist Movement & Its Poets i. 3 A voice that must unite without asking accounts of all the youth like that bonfire that the dispersed Arabs light to prepare their battles!

2012 D. Herd All Just 69 Love shan't ask Reckoning only.

c. transitive. spec. To request (a specified amount) as a price for selling something. Also with for the thing being sold.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > monetary value > price > [verb (transitive)] > state price

ask1857

?a1300 Iacob & Iosep (Bodl.) (1916) l. 165 (MED) More þen he axede for Iosep he ȝaf.

a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 780 (MED) He ne axede nouȝt a fferþing more.

1566 W. Painter Palace of Pleasure I. xxv. f. 49^v Tarquinius demaunded the price. The woman asked a wonderfull some.

1583 C. Hollyband Campo di Fior 61 What aske you for your hyer?.. I will contente myself with a small hier.

1636 W. Davenant Witts iv. sig. H3^v You aske a hundred pounds; Tis all I've left!

1698 G. Granville Heroick Love iv. i. 51 Life is not worth the Price you ask.

1725 D. Defoe Compl. Eng. Tradesman I. xvii. 276 Rather than abate a farthing of the price they had ask'd.

1752 S. Johnson Rambler No. 191. ⁋9 Ladies..asked me the price of my best head.

1825 W. Scott in J. G. Lockhart Mem. Life Sir W. Scott (1839) VII. 367 Nicol is certainly going to sell Faldonside, the Nabal asks £40,000—at least £5000 too much.

1855 Ld. Tennyson Brook in Maud & Other Poems 108 How he sent the bailiff to the farm To learn the price, and what the price he ask'd.

1857 H. G. Bohn Handbk. Prov. 323 Ask but enough, and you may lower the price as you list.

1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo v. 73 I telegraphed, asking the price.

1989 G. Daly Pre-Raphaelites in Love ii. 57 When Gabriel asked twenty-five pounds a drawing, Ruskin voluntarily raised the price to thirty pounds.

2010 Cornish Guardian (Nexis) 7 July 40 People actually have the affrontery [sic] to ask £50 for an ordinary ginger cat!

12. To say to a person that one wants something from him or her.

a. transitive. With double object (the person and the thing desired, esp. something abstract, as an opinion, pardon, permission).In early use also with the thing desired in the genitive.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > a person a thing

askOE

beseechc1275

desire1523

OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Deut. (Claud.) xviii. 11 Warna ðe ðæt ðu ne gyme drycræfta.., ne ne axa nane wiccean rædes.

OE Directions for Use of Confessor (Laud 482) (Dict. Old Eng. transcript) Ðonne þu þæs mannes andetnesse gehyre & he þe his dæda bote axige.

?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1140 Þerefter wæx suythe micel uuerre betuyx þe king & Randolf eorl of Cæstre, noht forþi ðat he ne iaf him al ðat he cuthe axen him..oc æfre þe mare he iaf heom, þe wærse hi wæron him.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 2640 Þeos eorles..axeden heom ræddes.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 4037 Hii escheþ [c1425 Harl. esseþ] vs truage.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 369 He nolde noman esse [a1400 Trin. Cambr. esche, c1425 Harl. asche, ?a1425 Digby aske] leue.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 3868 Iacob askid him his lemman.

a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich Hist. Holy Grail xxxvi. l. 493 Forto Axen hem Consaille.

1511 H. Watson tr. Noble Hist. King Ponthus (new ed.) sig. C.ii^v So wente he & kneled tofore the kynge & asked hym leue And the kynge graunted hym whan he sawe that the other wolde not speke.

1538 J. Bale God's Promises in I. Reed Dodsley's Sel. Coll. Old Plays (1780) I. 11 Good Lorde I axe the mercy.

?a1556 Grey Friars Chron. anno 1554 in R. Howlett Monumenta Franciscana (1882) II. 252 He..askyd them mercy and for-yefnes for his evylle in-sampulle.

1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet iv. vii. 45 I shal first asking you pardon, there-unto recount the occasion of my..returne.

1622 T. Walkley tr. J. de Luna Pursuit Hist. Lazarillo xvi. 184 I was so loue-nettled, that if they had asked me the Phœnix..I would haue giuen it them.

1692 tr. P. Boyer Hist. Vaudois xx. 154 To ask him leave of going out of his Dominions, as a particular favour that they implored of him.

1703 J. Evelyn Let. 12 Sept. in R. Boyle by Himself & Friends (1994) vi. 96 Asking you pardon againe, for these Impertinent Abberrations.

1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones VI. xvi. vii. 58 I ask Mr. Blifil pardon.

1791 E. Burke Corr. (1844) III. 274 I asked him his opinion directly, and without management.

1808 ‘P. Plymley’ Eighth, Ninth & Last Let. ix. 22 I ask him his opinion of a jobless faith.

1824 Morning Post (London) 27 Dec. 3 Pope Alexander the Third..made Frederick, the Emperor at Venice, fall down before him to the ground, and ask him forgiveness.

1924 Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica) 15 Dec. 40/4 The next morning she came and asked him pardon.

1973 R. I. Levy Tahitians (1975) 285 Oro, asked his thoughts about anger, describes the unpleasantness of the experience of being angry.

2009 I. Thomson Dead Yard i. 13 Roy..asked his wife permission to pour himself another glass of rum.

b. transitive. With the thing desired as object and of, from, †at, †to the person. Also in extended use: to expect or require of, from (cf. sense 11b).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > a thing of a person

askOE

beseech?a1400

supplicate1625

OE Rule St. Benet (Corpus Cambr.) vi. 22 Gif hwæt to ahsienne [L. requirenda] sy fram þam ealdre, þæt sy geahsod mid ealre eaðmodnesse.

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Parker) anno 1070 Þa angan Thomas his spæce..hu se arcebiscop axode hyrsumnesse mid aþswerunge at him, & he hit forsoc.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3656 Þu [sc. Cæsar] ært icumen of Rome þine word beoð swiðe store. Of ure londe þu axest ȝeld.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 110 Huet may þe zone betere acsy to his uader þanne bread?

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. 496 Rollo asked cristendom at þe Kyng Alfred.

c1450 (?a1405) J. Lydgate Complaint Black Knight (Fairf.) l. 479 in Minor Poems (1934) ii. 402 That to my foo..Mot axe grace, mercie, and pite.

a1475 J. Fortescue Governance of Eng. (Laud) (1885) 152 Such as axen off þe kyng offices.

a1500 (a1400) Ipomedon (Chetham) (1889) l. 68 (MED) The kyng of Calabrye thedur paste And at her brother he here axte [etc.].

1533 T. More Apologye xlviii. f. 266^v Some good man, agaynst whome a subtle wily shrew begynneth a false accyon, and asketh from hym all the lande he hath.

1583 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie cviii. 661 A charmer..that asketh counsell at spirites.

1584 A. Barlowe in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) 732 When they goe to warres, they carry with them their Idoll, of whom they aske counsell.

1647 King Charles I Let. 4 July in Antiquary (1880) 1 97/1 To aske leave of y^e two houses to make a journey.

1672 H. More Brief Reply 328 And scraping many Legs, asked a largess of the Knight.

1734 tr. C. Rollin Anc. Hist. II. 84 Whenever the young lords had any favour to ask of the king, Cyrus was their sollicitor.

1751 J. Wesley Let. Dec. (1931) III. 312 Sometimes..they have called out to the minister who carried the basin, reproaching him for asking alms of them.

1791 W. Cowper tr. Homer Odyssey in Iliad & Odyssey II. xv. 19 From brave Menelaus ask Dismission hence.

1830 J. W. Warter tr. Aristophanes Acharnians 43 The request of the bride, which she earnestly asks at me!

1849 N. Hawthorne Main Street in E. P. Peabody Æsthetic Papers 162 I ask pardon of the audience.

1871 Jrnl. Senate Virginia 17 Does the agent ever ask from the board any reduction or repricing of goods?

1936 Stage June 84/2 I don't ask help of anybody.

1961 R. Heppenstall Fourfold Trad. ii. ii. 145 This is asking a lot of the general reader.

1984 A. Maupin Babycakes xxxi. 151 After asking directions from a uniformed Latin American maid, he made his way through the..living room.

1999 C. Arnold Shells 18 He wiped the sword clean,..and asked pardon..of the blade he'd just profaned.

c. transitive. With the person as object and for, †of the thing desired.Now the usual construction in this sense.

ΚΠ

c1410 (c1390) G. Chaucer Parson's Tale (Harl. 7334) (1885) §992 A man þat..cometh for to axe him of mercy [c1405 Ellesmere axe mercy].

1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende f. xxiv^v/1 For this first they ought to axe echeone other.

a1535 J. Fisher Wayes to Perfect Relig. in Eng. Wks. (1876) i. 373 Askyng of him mercy for your abhominable offences.

1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes i. f. 129 O thou manne saied he, I aske thee for a dynyng, not for a dyyng.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) ii. i. 60 He ask'd me for a hundred markes in gold.

1671 J. Dryden Evening's Love iii. 44 I'll..ask him for the money which he promis'd me.

1734 A. Pope Epist. to Arbuthnot 50 You know his Grace, I want a Patron; ask him for a Place.

1787 F. Grose Provinc. Gloss. (at cited word) The reapers in Essex and Suffolk ask all passengers for a largess.

1810 W. Scott Lady of Lake v. 199 Ask we this savage hill we tread, For fattened steer or household bread?

1883 Harper's Mag. Dec. 136/1 You must..ask Barnes for her keys.

1896 Westm. Gaz. 23 Apr. 7/2 He lived in a snow-storm of letters asking him for money.

1931 T. R. G. Lyell Slang, Phrase & Idiom Colloq. Eng. 428 Why waste your time asking him for a subscription?

1966 R. S. Heinlein Moon is Harsh Mistress (1967) 188 Why not ask a topnotch computer for all possible ejection times for such a catapult as I have described?

1976 M. Gordon & G. Gordon Ordeal (1977) 142 Sniffling, he asked Penny for a tissue.

2004 N.Y. Times Mag. 7 Nov. 17/3 Prayers asking God for something—good health, better weather, victory in war or in football—are called petitionary prayers.

d. transitive. With the person asked as object and no further construction.In religious language frequently with allusion to or quotation from Luke 11:13 ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?’In later use frequently with an action as the thing requested (cf. uses at branch III.).

ΚΠ

c1430 N. Love Mirror Blessed Life (Brasenose e.9) (1908) 167 Oure lorde..was euere redy to helpe and hele alle thoo that asked hym trewely.

1528 W. Tyndale Obed. Christen Man f. cxx^v How moch rather shall youre hevenly father geve a good sprite vnto them that aske him?

1564 T. Becon Workes Pref. sig. Cii Christ sayth: Geue to euery one y^t axeth thee.

1676 N. Vincent Heaven or Hell upon Earth 240 The Spirit of God, who is a Comforter, is promised unto all that ask him.

a1691 R. Baxter Reliquæ Baxterianæ (1696) i. 89 Three pence or a Groat to every poor Body that askt me, was no great matter in a year.

1847 Protestant Mag. Jan. 51 Our great duty is to seek the gift of the Holy Spirit which God hath promised to all them that ask him.

1904 M. Weston Pamela's Choice x. 112 If ever there is anything I can do for you, you will only have to ask me.

1985 S. Hood Storm from Paradise (1988) 33 And if you want anything..just ask me.

2000 R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky tr. A. Chekhov Sel. Stories 192 ‘How about giving this Jew some boots...’ ‘Yes, Your Honour! I'll report it to the superintendent.’ ‘Please do. Ask him on my behalf.’

13. intransitive. With †after, for. To say that one wants, request that one be given. Cf. sense 4c.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)] > for something

bid971

aska1200

seekc1366

cravec1386

entreat1427

inquire?a1513

beg1576

incall1591

urgea1616

woo1615

clamour1651

to call on ——1721

tout1731

spell1790

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 81 Iuelmennish..acseð after fortocne of heuene.

c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. vi. l. 298 Al hunger eet in hast and axed after more.

1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) ii. 61 They..asked after water for to wasse their handes.

?1515 Hyckescorner (de Worde) sig. B.iv^v He asked for a mouthfull of quycke brymstone.

1598 R. Grenewey tr. Tacitus Annales v. ii. 119 Vitellius.., asking for a penknife, lightly prickt a vaine; and ended his life.

1611 Bible (King James) Micah vii. 3 The iudge asketh for a reward.

1611 B. Rich Honestie of Age (1615) 20 He that some forty or fifty yeares sithens, should haue asked after a Pickadilly, I wonder who could haue vnderstood him.

1693 A. Gavin Short Hist. Monastical Orders xiv. 129 The Anthonian Fryars..when they go a begging, if one does refuse what they ask for, they threaten immediately to make the Sacred Fire to fall upon him.

1735 Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 728/2 Let us now go in a door, And see what to ask for more.

1796 R. Southey Joan of Arc ii. 246 Could hear a famish'd woman ask for food, And feel no pity.

1814 J. West Alicia de Lacy IV. 265 He yielded to ask for mercy.

1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. ii. viii. 240 I'll cut back and ask for leave.

1894 Lancet 3 Nov. 1046 The council of the Medical Officers of Schools' Association have issued a circular to the members of the association, asking for their opinions upon the characteristics of measles and German measles.

1932 Blue Valley Farmer (Oklahoma City) 17 Mar. 6/5 The country must content itself with a stone when it asked for bread.

1960 L. Durrell Let. in Spirit of Place (1969) 153 The boys of King's School..asked for an article for the school mag.

2001 L. Ulrich Age of Homespun vii. 252 Her parents and a few other families..pledged their allegiance to the English cause, and asked for protection.

14. intransitive. Without construction. To make a request.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)]

yearnOE

ask1340

fand1340

frayne1377

seek1390

allegea1393

to make requestc1400

require?c1425

sue1440

thigc1480

solicit1509

petition1611

petitionate1625

postulate1754

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 207 (MED) Huo þet acseþ, he nimþ.

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Luke xi. 9 Axe ȝe, and it schal be ȝouun to ȝou.

a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 5240 Man that worthy is of name To asken often hath gret shame.

?a1518 H. Watson Ualentyne & Orson (1555) ci. sig. Xx.viii^v All shall be done, do but aske and you shall be serued.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Matt. vi. 7 Axe & it shalbe giuen you.

1535 W. Stewart tr. H. Boethius Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) II. 402 Ask and haue.

1549 T. Hoby tr. M. Bucer Gratulation sig. B.vii^v All that aske, do receaue.

1611 Bible (King James) Matt. vi. 7 Aske [ Wyclif, axe ȝe] and it shalbe giuen you.

1645 G. Gipps Serm. 12 Who will scrape to a keeper for a piece of Venison, who may have free accesse to the master of the game to aske and have?

1683 E. Wetenhall Pract. Plain Disc. v. 150 He giveth Wisdom liberally to all who ask, and upbraideth none.

1735 J. Swift Let. 30 Dec. in Corr. (2007) IV. 247 I desired you would bestow a Preferment of 150^ll p^r ann: on a certain Clergyman. Your answer was, that I asked modestly.

1748 S. Richardson Clarissa VI. lxxv. 277 As if the petitioned-to had not as good a right to reject, as the petitioner to ask.

1834 M. Edgeworth Helen II. xiv. 275 Entreaties, distressing and irritating to the feelings of those who ask and of those who must refuse.

1899 K. Chopin Awakening v. 26 I never had to ask. You were always there under my feet, like a troublesome cat.

1920 Amer. Woman Aug. 13/3 (advt.) A 10-Day Tube of Pepsodent is sent to anyone who asks.

1961 J. Stroud Touch & Go iv. 45 Tell her not to hesitate to ask.

2003 S.-L. Parks Getting Mother's Body 216 I wanna get with her, but I don't know how to ask.

†15. transitive. Of a thing: to seek; to direct itself or extend towards. Obsolete. rare. [After classical Latin petere to aim at, seek, lay claim to; also to ask, beg (see repeat v.).]

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > direction > direct [verb (transitive)] > cause to have specific direction > incline towards

ask?c1400

salutec1440

?c1400 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (BL Add. 10340) (1868) iv. pr. vi. l. 3926 In so moche is þe þing more free and lovs fro destyne as it axeþ [L. petit] and holdeþ hym ner to þilke Centre of þinges.

?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1865) I. 63 The Redde see..is departede in to ij. armes, of whom the arme Persicalle..dothe aske [L. petit] the northe.

†16. transitive. Probably: to pursue, sue, prosecute (a debtor). Cf. asking n. 5, 6, asker n.¹ 2. Obsolete. [Compare classical Latin repetere to say again, to demand in return (see repeat v.) in its post-classical Latin sense ‘to oppress’ (Vulgate: Isaiah 58:3), translating Hebrew nāgaś to press, drive, oppress.]

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > adversity > suffer (adversity or affliction) [verb (transitive)] > afflict > oppress or afflict

heavyc897

narroweOE

overlayOE

overseamOE

twingea1300

to weigh downa1340

grieve1340

besit1377

oppressc1384

foila1400

thringa1400

empressc1400

enpressc1400

aska1425

press?a1425

peisea1450

straita1464

constraina1500

overhale1531

to grate on or upon1532

wrack1562

surcharge1592

to lie heavy uponc1595

to weigh back, on one side, to the earth1595

to sit on ——1607

to sit upon ——1607

gall1614

bear1645

weight1647

obsess1648

aggrieve1670

swinge1681

lean1736

gravitate1754

weigh1794

a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Isa. lviii. 3 Lo! ȝoure wille is foundun in the dai of ȝoure fastyng, and ȝe axen alle ȝoure dettouris [a1382 E.V. alle ȝoure detouris ȝee pleten; L. omnes debitores vestros repetitis].

III. transitive. With an action as the goal. See also branch V.

17.

a. transitive. With that and modal verb or subjunctive. To request that something be done; to express a desire that something happen or be the case.In Old English coupled with bid.

ΚΠ

OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 262 Þa axode Sulpicius, and hine eadmodlice bæd þæt he him geopenian sceolde hwa him wiðspræce.

OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Corpus Cambr.) (1900) i. v. 46 Þa se ceorl, þe þider com hine to geseonne, acsode & geornlice bæd, þæt him scolde beon getæht, hwilc he wære.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1963) 3 Kings xv. 19 I aske þat þou come & make at nouȝt þe bond of pes þat þou hast with baasa.

?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) 74 (MED) After þis þer come a knyght of þe Templers and..asked þat he myght hafe euermare his purs full of gold.

a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Gloucester) (1971) 770 I aske þat sche may lye be me one nyȝte.

1542 T. Becon Newe Pathway vnto Praier xxix. sig. M.v^v We aske that the name of God maye be sanctified.

1618 R. Broughton Man. Praiers xvi. 107 We aske that the holy Ghost coming, may with his holy, good, and glorious presence, sanctify and make this bread..that it may be vnto al receiuing of them, to remission of sinnes.

1664 A. Pitcarne Spiritual Sacrifice i. vii. 188 While we pray for temporal mercies, we only ask that the world may be governed by blind fortune, and that God would neither do good nor evil.

1718 in Rec. Boston Selectmen (1885) 41 Henry Bridgham haveing formerly a Grant to keep an Ale House, asks that his Lycence may be in full to Sell Strong Drink as an Inholder.

1789 H. Mustafa tr. Ghulam Husain Khan Sëir Mutaqherin II. 384 [Lord Clive] visited the Vezir..and asked that the Company should be invested with the Divanship of the three provinces.

1822 G. Howard Lady Jane Grey, & Her Times vi. 293 He only asked that the point should be settled by parliament.

1837 Proc. & Deb. Convent. Pennsylvania III. 94 He asked that he might have the privilege to vote, in consequence of having done labor of this kind sufficient to pay his tax.

1898 Argosy Nov. 683 I..also asked that I be appointed her guardian.

1935 R. A. Knox Barchester Pilgrimage v. 199 If Miss Lufton had asked that her children might be brought up as wet-bobs..or that they should be sent to Cambridge [etc.].

1971 Nature 30 Apr. 545/1 The..committee asks that associated countries should survey information services of national, regional or international scope .

2010 N. T. Skippings Killer & Prosecutor xi. 110 The judge asked that the Attorneys approach the Bench.

b. transitive. With if or whether and modal verb; also with a person as second object. (a) To say politely that one would like a person to do something, to invite to do something; (b) to say (to a person) that one would like to do or have something, to request permission (of).

ΚΠ

c1560 J. Frampton in J. Strype Ann. Reformation (1709) xx. 233* They asked me, whether I would confer with their Religion... And I did confer with them in their Religion.

1683 J. Erskine Jrnl. 3 June (1893) 124 Houstoun asked if he might have his safety; which was granted.

1742 R. North & M. North Life F. North 174 He..shewing them the Proclamation, asked if they could find any Caption to be made upon it.

1742 H. Fielding Joseph Andrews I. ii. ii. 143 Adams asked him, if he could direct him to an Alehouse. The Fellow..bid him follow his Nose.

1824 W. Scott Redgauntlet III. vii. 198 He asked..‘Whether he could have a plack-pie’?

1833 H. Martineau Loom & Lugger VI. ii. iii. 60 She asked Rebecca if she could come to tea at their house.

1847 R. Anderson Let. 9 Aug. in Artillery Officer in Mexican War (1911) 281 Major W. asked if I could take the mess articles in ‘G’ Co. wagon.

a1866 Elizabeth, Colored Minister of Gospel (1889) 2 I asked the overseer if I might go, but being positively denied, I concluded to go without his knowledge.

1897 A. Daly tr. F. Von Schönthan Seven-twenty-eight iii. 73 I'd like to ask if I could go to the Private Coachman's ball to-night, ma'am.

1920 ‘O. Douglas’ Penny Plain v. 62 I was going to ask if I might see over the house.

1925 M. Moore Let. 29 Dec. in Sel. Lett. (1997) 221 Alfred Kreymborg called..to ask if we could use at once, a pigeon poem of his called ‘Pantomine’.

1946 C. Bush Case Second Chance xi. 155 I blew the gaff by asking the lady if I might speak to Mr Hanley.

1978 L. Isenberg in D. Abse My Med. School 207 One night we were asked if someone would ‘special’ a lady who might require surgery during the night.

2013 Daily Tel. 28 Mar. 16/3 I had to go to my mother and father and ask them if they could help me out.

18. With object and infinitive (also with to and infinitive understood from the context, and intransitive without to do).

a. To say or otherwise communicate to (a person) that one wants or requires him or her to do something.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > a person to do something

crave?c1225

seek1362

requirec1380

aska1400

require1415

to call upon ——a1450

will?1457

requestc1485

bespeaka1616

beg1675

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 3141 Nou es he askid..Til god to make of sacrifise.

?1531 R. Whitford tr. Thomas à Kempis Folowynge of Cryste iv. ix. sig. Ci Al theym..that haue desyred and asked me to pray or to do sacryfyce for theym.

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 3^v (heading) How Kyng Pelleus Exit Iason to get þe ffles of golde.

1606 T. Daniell Interrogatory 14 Dec. in D. B. Quinn New Amer. World (1979) V. 174 [He] asked them to tripp theire anker.

1668 J. Denham Poems 136 Ask him to lend To this the last request that I shall send, A gentle Ear.

1727 P. Shaw & E. Chambers tr. H. Boerhaave New Method Chem. ii. 193 Ask him to shew you gold in powder.

1769 H. Brooke Fool of Quality IV. xvii. 65 Looking fondly up to his Face, she lisped and said, Me voud kiss Oo, if oo voud ask me.

1786 T. Jefferson Papers 14 Nov. (1954) X. 531 They..have asked me to procure a state of the advantages of that place.

1832 B. Disraeli Let. 10 Apr. (1982) I. 261 He asked me to go with him to Newmarket to the Craven but I refused.

1872 W. Black Strange Adventures Phaeton xxv. 350 He does not ask me to pay his bills.

1882 Harper's New Monthly Mag. Dec. 108/1 She will tell you anything if you ask her, but she would never tell you if you didn't ask her.

1885 Manch. Examiner 5 June 5/4 Mr. Bartley's letter asking the Conservative leaders to define a policy appears to have struck home.

1898 Physical Culture 1 112/2 If Sandow's system is to be applied to rowing at all, this is one of the results we shall immediately ask it to produce.

1905 P. Gibbon Vrouw Grobelaar's Leading Cases 139 Meisje, will you not come out? I ask you to.

1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo ix. 133 We cabled to a boat at sea asking it to stop.

1984 F. P. Thomas How to write Story of your Life vi. 34 Your ‘remembery’ is always there, ready to help if you ask it to.

2002 N.Y. Times Mag. 28 Apr. 60/1 If there are once again higher expectations on colleges and universities to look after the welfare of students, shouldn't we be asking parents to help us?

b. To convey to (an animal) by word or action that one wants it to do something; to require or expect (an animal) to do something.

ΚΠ

1872 A. J. Cupples Tappy's Chicks 268 He insisted upon me asking the dog to come out.

1881 Minutes Trans. Pennsylvania Agric. Soc. 70 in Agric. of Pennsylvania To pen five sheep is a task too arduous to ask a puppy to perform.

1920 Jrnl. Royal United Service Inst. Aug. 461 Under these conditions no horseman would ask his horse to face a series of blind stake and bound fences.

1946 M. C. Self Horseman's Encycl. 132 When a horse is asked to change from one lead to the other at a gallop.

2010 Whole Dog Jrnl. Jan. 16/2 Asking your dog to endure the constant presence of his peers..can quickly become stressful.

19. With infinitive as object (also with to and infinitive understood from the context). To say that one wants to do or have something, or wants something to be done for one; to request permission to.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > to do or have a thing

ask?c1400

require1479

request1565

beg1576

?c1400 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (BL Add. 10340) (1868) iii. pr. i. l. 1713 I..axe gretely to heeren tho remedyes.

1461–2 Rolls of Parl.: Edward IV (Electronic ed.) Parl. Nov. 1461 §16. m. 10 The seid tenauntes..asked to be discharged..of all manere custumes of certeyn hennes and corne.

1477 Earl Rivers tr. Dictes or Sayengis Philosophhres (Caxton) (1877) lf. 1 I had delyte & axed to rede somme good historye.

?1575 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Familiar Epist. (new ed.) 149 The ioy I conceiued to see that most cruel beast stand so myld, come sicke, goe so lame, and to aske to be cured.

a1652 C. Goad Refreshing Drops (1653) 166 The main amisness in Prayer, is..when we ask to gratifie our Lusts.

1792 W. Short Let. 15 Sept. in T. Jefferson Papers (1990) XXIV. 376 He asked to have the addition of plenipo.

1833 I. Taylor Fanaticism vii. 221 The country..seemed to ask to be seized upon by men worthy to enjoy it.

1866 B. Taylor Story of Kennett xxxi. 375 You won't believe me, Mary,..and I can't ask to—but it's the truth!

1887 E. S. Phelps Old Maids, & Burglars in Paradise (new ed.) vi. 94 He waked up and see the critter sleepin' on the chair beside of him. Says the dog asked to go; so he let him go.

1919 Salaries Firemen District of Columbia: Hearings before District of Columbia Comm. (U.S. House of Representatives, 66th Congr., 1st Sess.) 38 I was put on the engine, not because I asked to, but because [etc.].

1926 Nation 9 Jan. 517/2 She may have been afraid of asking to go out.

1980 M. Robinson Housekeeping x. 196 We asked to stop at an ice-cream stand by the road in the woods.

2013 New Yorker 16 Sept. 25/1 When you need a ride, you can use their apps to find a driver near you and ask to be picked up.

20. With infinitive ‘to come’ or ‘to go’ understood.

a. Usually with to (preposition). To invite (a person) to join in an event or activity, or to visit one's place of residence or work.

ΚΠ

1752 J. Leaf Worldly Compliances 22 Be sure you are ready for the company I have asked to dinner.

a1797 H. Walpole Jrnl. Reign George III (1859) II. 445 The Queen gave a ball.., to which one hundred persons of the Court..were invited; but the Duke of Cumberland was not asked.

1846 C. G. F. Gore Sketches Eng. Char. II. 45 I..was asked to Grangehurst for the battue.

1907 J. Galsworthy Country House i. i. 2 Foxleigh; he's no good... But can't he shoot just! That's why they ask him.

1921 E. Ferber Girls iv. 66 They..were asked to the big, inclusive crushes pretty regularly once a year.

1940 J. T. Flynn Country Squire in White House v. 79 The trade associations were asked to Washington.

1991 J. Galloway Scenes from Life No. 27 in Blood (1992) 144 The Scottish side weren't asked to the funeral.

2014 A. C. Arthur Shifter's Claim xv. 155 She was sure none of those other females had ever been asked to dinner like this by him.

b. With adverbs, as over, round, etc. To invite (a person) to join one somewhere, as at one's place of residence or work, especially when nearby. Earliest in to ask down at Phrasal verbs. See also to ask along, to ask back, to ask out at Phrasal verbs.

ΚΠ

1784 Hist. Julia Benson II. xxxvi. 71 This stranger she asks down ‘to Wiltshire!’ I should have had a very bad opinion of her.

1836 F. W. Thomas East & West I. xxiii. 231 I will ask him round here, this afternoon.

1869 Contemp. Rev. 11 65 The Duke..had asked him over.

1883 Harper's Mag. July 241/1 Do please ask him up.

1936 W. Hatfield Austral. through Windscreen 64 If he's a house man ask him in. If he isn't, tell him he can go down to the kitchen for tea.

1942 E. Afr. Ann. 1941–2 128/2 Friends who own a mixed farm ask us over.

1996 H. Fielding Bridget Jones's Diary (1997) 217 When Gav rang and asked me round to his house for dinner tonight I accepted graciously.

21. transitive. Computing.

a. To instruct (a computer, program, etc.) to perform a particular operation or provide specified information.

ΚΠ

1959 Process Control & Automation 6 96/1 We carefully set up criteria of similarity and ask the computer to make the comparisons for us.

1974 New Scientist 23 May 477/1 He has the option of asking the computer to display all 20 contacts so that he can decide if one..should be upgraded.

1988 PC Mag. May 125/2 You can also ask the program to search for specific files.

2005 C. Conmy et al. Excel for Teachers xiii. 123 You could ask Excel to give you an average score.

b. Of a computer, program, etc.: to request (input necessary for a particular operation to be performed); to prompt (a user, a component of a computer system or network) to provide some specified input.

ΚΠ

1960 Railway Signaling & Communications 1 Mar. 16/2 The computer asks these questions.

1976 Computerworld 19 July 25/4 The terminal ‘asks’ whether the operator wants to search the computer or the film files for individual persons.

1991 What Personal Computer Dec. 49/2 The BBS asks me for my log-in and password.

2009 J. Ross Network Know-how xiii. 169 Windows will ask for a login and password and then make the connection.

†IV. transitive. With a person or thing sought as the goal.

22. To enquire after the whereabouts of (a person or thing); to seek out, look for. Also: to request to see (a person); to call for, summon. Obsolete.With use in sense ‘to seek out, look for’ cf. later use in to ask for trouble at Phrases 13.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > appeal to or invoke

halsec825

askOE

witnec1200

halsenc1290

calla1325

incalla1340

to speak to ——1362

interpel1382

inclepec1384

turnc1384

becallc1400

ethec1400

peala1425

movec1450

provoke1477

adjure1483

invoke1490

conjurea1500

sue1521

invocatea1530

obtest1548

obtestate1553

to throw oneself on (or upon)1592

obsecrate1598

charm1599

to cry on ——1609

behight1615

imprecate1643

impray1855

OE Genesis A (1931) 2455 Comon Sodomware..corðrum miclum cuman acsian.

OE Beowulf (2008) 1206 He for wlenco wean ahsode.

OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Cambr. Univ. Libr.) i. vii. 34 Ða het he hraðe his þegnas hine secan & acsian [L. inquirere].

OE Homily: Invention of Cross (Auct. F.4.32) in M.-C. Bodden Old Eng. Finding of True Cross 95 Ða ongan sancta Elena swiðe giornlice axian þa næglas þe ures Hælendes handa & his fet þurh adrifene wæron.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 8468 He lette axien [c1300 Otho axi] anan men þat cuðen hæuwen stan.

a1425 (a1382) Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) (1850) Deut. xxv. 1 If there were a cause bitwex eny men, and han askid iugis, whom thei biholden to be ryȝtwise, to hym the palme of riȝtwisnes thei shulen ȝyue.

a1475 ( in R. H. Robbins Hist. Poems 14th & 15th Cent. (1959) 187 Suych a payn prikked hym, he asked a confessour.

V. Of a thing: to need, require, demand, call for.

23. Of a thing: to need, require, demand, call for (by circumstances or its condition).

a. transitive. With simple object or infinitive, or object and infinitive.

(a) gen.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > necessity > condition of being necessary > need or want > need [verb (transitive)] > require or demand

askOE

willa1225

requirec1425

crave1576

desire1577

exact1592

solicit1592

wish1600

postulate1605

expect1615

to look after ——a1616

seek1656

demand1748

OE Andreas (1932) 1134 Sceolde sweordes ecg, scerp ond scurheard, of sceaðan folme, fyrmælum fag, feorh acsigan.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 86 & to wenden us fromward þe licunge. þet flesches lust askeð.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 54 Þo þet libbeþ be þan þet hare zennes okseþ.

a1425 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Galba) l. 28768 (MED) Almus askes to be wroght Of rightwis aght..els vnmedeful es þe dede And makes to þe doer no mede.

c1450 in F. J. Furnivall Hymns to Virgin & Christ (1867) 61 Quod conscience, þat axiþ coost.

1574 J. Studley tr. J. Bale Pageant of Popes f. 7^v All this asketh more time & leasure to be brought to passe, then Peter could hetherto obtayne in Rome.

1598 R. Barret Theorike & Pract. Mod. Warres i. 7 These three matters handled would aske a great volume.

1606 B. Jonson Hymenaei sig. E^v What his Merit made to the Soule of our Invention, would aske to be exprest in Tunes, no lesse ravishing then his.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) ii. i. 114 Signior Baptista, my businesse asketh haste.

1623 G. Markham Countrey Contentments, or Eng. Huswife (new ed.) iii. 104 The Veale will aske a double quantitie of suet.

1627 R. Sanderson Ten Serm. 173 It will aske some time, yea and cunning too, to find it out.

1666 T. Watson Godly Mans Picture iv. 211 'Tis a sad thing that a man should bee so bewitched by lust, that if it ask to part with, not only half the Kingdome, but the whole Kingdome of heaven, hee must part with it, to gratifie that lust.

1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd iv. 549 To stand upright Will ask thee skill.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 110 Goats of equal Profit are..and ask an equal Care.

1700 S. Wesley Epist. Poetry 28 Not many Poets were for Statesmen made, It asks more Brains than stocks the Rhiming Trade.

1780 W. Cowper Table Talk 559 To give a Milton birth ask'd ages more.

1820 T. Mitchell tr. Aristophanes Acharnians in tr. Aristophanes Comedies I. 85 It asks not his nicer discerning To observe how like wind an Athenian's mind shifts and alters at every turning.

1868 Trans. National Assoc. Promotion Social Sci. 1867 558 It was a sentimental reason... It asked us to believe that a working man had the power to recognise the better part of human nature.

1919 V. Woolf Night & Day xxi. 289 She flinched from the thought. It asked too much of one already stripped bare.

1988 P. Brook Shifting Point (1989) 64 This text..asks physically developed actors not to go backwards but to push forward.

2008 New Yorker 23 June 80/1 Double unreliability..asks much more of the reader.

†(b) spec. To invite, provoke; to deserve in return. Chiefly in proverb one good turn asks another and variants. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > existence and causation > causation > [verb (transitive)] > elicit or call forth

movea1398

drawa1400

provoke?a1425

askc1450

to draw out1525

to stir up1526

allure?1532

suscitate1532

to call out1539

to draw fortha1569

draw1581

attract1593

raise1598

force1602

fetch1622

milka1628

invite1650

summon1679

elicit1822

to work up?1833

educe1840

c1450 in Bull. John Rylands Libr. (1930) 14 92 O good turne asket another.

?c1500 Conversion of St. Paul (Digby) l. 91 Such crabyysh wordes do aske a blow.

1550 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue (new ed.) i. xi. sig. Ciii^v One good tourne askth an other.

1614 W. Camden Remaines (rev. ed.) 310 One ill word asketh another. One good turne asketh another.

1660 W. Houlbrook Black-smith & No Jesuite 48 But thou know'st honest Smith, that one good turn asketh another?

1670 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Prov. 20 One shrewd turn asks another.

†(a) intransitive. Without construction. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

J. Gaytryge Lay Folks' Catech. (York Min.) (1901) l. 341 For to minister sacrementz..Aftir the state that thai haue, and thair degree askes [?a1450 Lamb. askyþ].

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1869) II. 165 Whan tyme and place axeþ.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Melibeus (Hengwrt) (2003) §473 He shal punysshe hem as the lawe axeth & requereth.

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 109 He þat tas not his tyme when þe tyde askes.

(b) intransitive. With for. Cf. sense 13.

ΚΠ

1792 Kent & Sussex Assoc. Baptist Churches 13 This agreement, or covenant of works..made with Adam..asks for nothing but purity, love to and delight in God.

1829 I. Taylor Nat. Hist. Enthusiasm ix. 231 An irresistible prurience asking for the marvellous.

1857 G. E. Ellis Half Cent. Unitarian Controv. 380 If we take any one of the contested problems in doctrinal or speculative theology, we find it to be involved with terms each of which asks for a re-definition.

1880 W. Cyples Inq. Proc. Human Exper. vi. 133 Limit of time asked for a sensation.

1948 R. J. Forbes Short Hist. Art of Distillation viii. 285 The new machinery asked for a different type of labour.

2004 Bridge Mag. Mar. 10/2 O'Neill's Three Spade bid asked for a spade stop for 3NT.

Phrases

P1. colloquial. I ask you: used to emphasize a question, or as an exclamation of surprise or disapproval intended to elicit agreement.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > disbelief, incredulity > expressions of disbelief [interjection]

to go toc1275

in good timea1470

Walker1811

to get off1818

this beats my grandmother1819

to go on1835

your granny!1837

to get away1847

I ask you1855

great guns!1875

sure1907

oh yeah1927

Aunt Fanny1928

go 'long1974

to sod off1976

the mind > emotion > hatred > dislike > disgust > expressing extreme disgust or violent resentment [phrase] > expressing incredulous disgust

I ask you1855

1530 Thorpe's Examinacion sig. Iiii^v What worship saide the lorde..The lorde said. This is a redy man to put to me a question of a thing, that they wote neuer where it is. And yet I aske you, what worship.

1677 Duke of Newcastle & T. Shadwell Triumphant Widow v. ii. 80 I ask you, Did you never naughtily together?]

1855 C. Dickens Little Dorrit (1857) i. ii. 12 ‘Now, I ask you,’ said Mr. Meagles... ‘I ask you simply as between man and man.. did you ever hear of such damned nonsense as putting Pet in quarantine?’

1902 J. Conrad Youth 44 Now, I ask you, can anybody stand this kind of thing?

1932 Punch 18 May 536 I ask you—not a taxi in sight!

1959 R. Galton & A. Simpson Hancock's Half-hour (1987) 149 Tony: Are you taking the mickey? Sidney: Well I ask you, what a load of old rubbish you talk sometimes.

2004 A. Levy Small Island xxvi. 270 I mean, we've got enough Poles living here to start their country anew. Now these Cockneys. I ask you.

P2. to ask instruments: see instrument n. 2a.

P3. to ask (a person's) pardon: see pardon n.¹ 7a.

P4. to ask in borrowing: see borrowing n.¹ b.

P5. to ask counsel of one's pillow: see pillow n. Phrases 1.

P6. all a person asks (for) and variants: the only thing, or the most, that a person demands or requires, usually with the implication that the requirement is modest.

ΚΠ

1605 A. Munday tr. G. Affinati Dumbe Divine Speaker Ep. Ded. sig. A2 And if the world giue me good words, tis all I aske of it.

1616 B. Jonson Epicœne iv. iv, in Wks. I. 576 Driue 'hem out of your companie, 'tis all I aske.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 292 'Tis all I ask this cruel Race to shun.

1731 G. Lillo London Merchant v. ii. 65 The last of Curses to other miserable Maids, is all I ask for my Relief, and that's deny'd me.

1781 R. B. Sheridan Critic ii. ii. 42 His liberty is all he asks.

1823 Times 20 Jan. 1/5 All they asked was for a re-modification of its terms.

1855 E. Brooks Speech in Senate Feb. 7th, 8th, & 13th 1855 10/2 All that Protestants have ever asked for is the reading of the Bible in our schools without note or comment.

1902 J. Masefield Salt-water Ballads 59 All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.

1989 G. Vanderhaeghe Homesick xi. 158 That's all I'm asking—that you try.

2000 Z. Smith White Teeth (2001) i. 4 All he asked for was a bit of silence.

P7. to ask too much, too much to ask, and variants: (to make) an excessive or unreasonable demand; in later use frequently ironic.

ΚΠ

1654 F. G. tr. ‘G. de Scudéry’ Artamenes II. v. ii. 119 If it were not too much to ask you at once, you would do me a pleasure in telling me what is become of poor Feraulas?

1673 B. Makin Ess. to revive Antient Educ. Gentlewomen Ep. Ded. 4 I do not..plead for Female Preeminence. To ask too much is the way to be denied all.

1722 J. Ozell tr. F. de S. de La Mothe-Fénelon Fables & Dialogues of Dead vii. 60 You ask too much; you ought to dread the Fatality of this Petition.

1784 R. Bage Barham Downs II. 297 Grant me a portion of your correspondence..whilst I am absent from my country. I know this is too much to ask, but do not—you will not refuse me.

1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice III. i. 28 Will you allow me, or do I ask too much, to introduce my sister to your acquaintance during your stay at Lambton?

1843 W. H. Prescott Hist. Conquest Mexico I. iii. iv. 463 It is too much to ask of any man..to be in advance of the refinement of his age.

1907 Lady's Realm Apr. 734/2 She would willingly have done much to help the one and the other. But they asked too much.

1982 Chicago Sun-Times 25 Nov. 7/2 Is it asking too much for these sickos to stop bothering decent women?

2002 BusinessWeek 1 July 90/3 Counting on consumers to propel the recovery at a time when wage gains are ebbing may be too much to ask.

P8. ask (me) no questions and I'll tell you no lies: see question n. Phrases 1d.

P9. colloquial. don't ask me: used to indicate that one does not know the answer to a question and that one is surprised, irritated, etc., to be questioned.

ΚΠ

1785 T. Holcroft tr. P. A. C. de Beaumarchais Follies of Day ii. 38 Page. The doors are all fast, how can I fly? Susan. Don't ask me! Fly!

1844 C. J. Lever Tom Burke I. xix. 130 Don't ask me. If your own heart doesn't teach ye, how can I?

1895 G. Moore Celibates 138 ‘When will you marry me?’ ‘Don't ask me. I cannot say when.’

1952 D. Thomas Let. 10 Sept. (1987) 838 The first & last lines of the poem rhyme; the second and the last but one; & so on & so on. Why I acrosticked myself like this, don't ask me.

1991 D. R. Koontz Cold Fire iii. i. 371 ‘Why are we here?’.. ‘Don't ask me. You're the one who wanted to come.’

2003 C. Birch Turn again Home x. 128 ‘Oh, don't ask me,’ she'd say, ‘I haven't the foggiest what you're on about.’

P10. colloquial. if you ask me: in my opinion.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > expressed belief, opinion > personal opinion > [adverb] > in my opinion

to (my) seemingc1386

to my supposinga1393

in my mindc1400

conceitc1405

in one's own conceit1483

in my fantasy1561

to my mind1600

in my seeming1604

in (also to) my conception1650

to my way of thinking1733

if you ask me1873

1849 L. Schmitz Gram. Lat. Lang. li. 256 Roges me, nihil fortasse respondebo, if you ask me (that is, supposing you were asking me), I shall perhaps not give you an answer.]

1873 Good Words Dec. 763/1 I don't know what your idea of acting honourably and straightforwardly is; but, by Jove, if you ask me, I say 'tis the way in which Stephen Prescott has treated you.

1910 J. Galsworthy Justice 11 If you ask me, I don't think he was quite compos when he did it.

1930 J. B. Priestley Angel Pavement ii. 65 Girls are a bit silly, if you ask me.

1969 G. Friel Grace & Miss Partridge v. 77 She's no keeping well, she's sick. There's damn all wrong with her if you ask me.

2012 Independent 3 May 31/1 If you ask me, it's a rare day when your prayers are answered.

P11. coarse slang. ask my arse (also ass) and variants: used as an evasive response to a question or statement or as an exclamation of dismissal or contempt.

ΚΠ

1788 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue (ed. 2) Ask or Ax my A--e., a common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains.

1804 J. Collins Scripscrapologia 179 When Tom wants to know, Who makes Breeches for Joe, Says Joe, in Reply, ‘Ask my Podex.’

1837 Little Icky-wickey Songster 22 Bill thought as how the joke he'd pass, So points to his moke, and cried, ‘Ax my ass!’

1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xv. [Circe] 523 Ask my ballocks that I haven't got.

1949 S. Murphy Stone Mad xvi. 99 ‘Ask me ass,’ said Danny. ‘D'ye think I've nothing else to do but talk about stone?’

2001 J. Murphy Kings of Kilburn High Road i, in Two Plays 15 Jap. Fuckin' Pope's been to Ireland more times than you! Maurteen. Ask me arse.

P12. to ask no odds: see odds n. 5d.

P13. colloquial. to ask for trouble: to do something that will almost certainly cause problems or provoke an adverse reaction; cf. to ask for it at Phrases 16.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > carelessness > incautiousness > be incautious [verb (intransitive)] > be rash or reckless > so as to court disaster

to play (also mess) with firea1325

to ride for a fall1852

to ask for trouble1871

1871 A. C. Geekie Christian Missions vii. 72 His wish was granted, but he soon found that he had asked for trouble to himself and his church.

1925 J. G. Bruce in E. F. Norton et al. Fight for Everest: 1924 343 It is asking for trouble to give out any money except the daily ration allowance.

1960 H. Pinter Room 1 I don't know how they live down there. It's asking for trouble.

2003 Independent 29 Dec. i. 13/4 If you put people behind barbed wire..and bulldoze their homes, you are asking for trouble.

P14. Horse Racing. to ask (a horse) the question: (of a rider) to communicate to (a horse) that a special effort is required.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > racing or race > horse racing > ride horse in race [verb (transitive)] > actions of rider

bore1677

jostle1723

pinch1740

pull1781

rope1854

screw1855

corner1861

ride1863

ready1887

poach1891

nurse1893

to ask (a horse) the question1894

stiffen1900

shoo1908

rate1946

stop1954

niggle1963

1894 H. Custance Riding Recoll. vi. 88 Until the last ten strides, when I really asked ‘King Lud’ the question.

1963 Listener 25 July 128/2 Do as little galloping as possible till the last moment. That is when the jockey ‘asks his horse the question’, as they say.

P15. to ask leave: see leave n.¹ 1.

P16. colloquial. to ask for it: = to ask for trouble at Phrases 13.

ΚΠ

1901 Marvel 15 No. 385. 2/1 You have asked for it!... Now take it!

1909 E. P. Oppenheim Jeanne of Marshes ii. xiv. 274 ‘Whatever happens to him,’ Forrest said, ‘he's asking for it.’

1916 ‘B. Cable’ Action Front 165 Silly fools... What do they want to hoist that huge Red Cross flag up there for, where any airman can see it? Fairly asking for it, I call it.

1946 ‘M. Innes’ From London Far i. v. 42 ‘The damned scoundrels!’.. The girl was philosophical. ‘I asked for it, all right.’

1991 S. Cisneros Woman Hollering Creek 138 Late or early, sooner or later, you're just asking for it. Know what I mean?

P17. colloquial. ask me another and variants: used in response to a question to which one does not know the answer.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > want of knowledge, ignorance > be ignorant [phrase] > profess ignorance

to wit ne'era1400

this (also that, it) is news to me (him, her, etc.)1777

quien sabe1833

search me1885

ask me another1910

1910 A. Bennett Clayhanger iii. ii. 344 ‘Why's he wearing his best clothes?’ Clara demanded... ‘Ask me another!’ said Edwin.

1912 A. Brazil New Girl at St. Chad's ix. 139 ‘Then who was it?’ Honor shook her head. ‘Ask me a harder!’ she said briefly.

1928 E. Wallace Gunner ii. 24 I hope you are wearing warm undies. Why are undies indelicate and sable coats ladylike? Ask me. It's one of the mysteries.

1933 I. Compton-Burnett More Women xiii. 202 ‘Devoted?’ said Josephine, raising her brows. ‘Ask me another. I am not in a position to give you an account of their feelings.’

2007 W. Kress From Holocaust to Highlands iii. 58 Was it due to the events of my first love that had such a traumatic ending? Ask me another.

P18. to ask (for) someone's hand (in marriage): see hand n. 5b.

P19. to ask for the moon: see moon n.¹ Phrases 3.

P20. ask a silly question (and you get a silly answer): see silly adj., n., and adv. Phrases 4.

P21. to ask what the score is: see score n. 14d.

P22. colloquial. don't (even) ask: used in reply to an explicit or anticipated question to say that any answer or explanation would be too complicated or absurd, or unwelcome.

ΚΠ

1977 Washington Post 3 Jan. b1 Will 1977 be an exciting year? Don't ask.

1981 Washington Post 3 May g18/1 What if the issuers had to pay in gold? Don't even ask, Ellison shrugs.

1995 Independent on Sunday 23 Apr. (Review Suppl.) 54/4 I had sweet potato, pink peppercorn and allspice bullas—don't ask, something West Indian.

2001 L. Rennison Knocked out by Nunga-nungas 37 Jimmy is a haggis with a scarf on. Don't even ask.

P23. don't ask, don't tell: see do v. Phrases 6d.

Phrasal verbs

With adverbs in specialized senses. to ask along

transitive. To invite to join one in going somewhere.

ΚΠ

1828 London & Paris Observer 19 Oct. 670/2 I deny ever having said that I should, in case of such an occurrence, ask you along with me.

1908 F. J. Lewis Climbing up to Nature x. 277 I remember the first place he took you on your honeymoon... Me and my sister was asked along.

1993 Vanity Fair Dec. 124/1 To prevent a disastrous doggy vacation, the masseur de chien was asked along for the trip.

to ask around

intransitive. To enquire widely about a thing.

ΚΠ

1754 Coll. Hymns Children of God in All Ages (Moravian Church) i. 351/1 Say, where's thy hope, thou Sinner, say? Look ev'ry where, and ask around.

1843 Bentley's Misc. 13 492/2 She'd..ask around, Until she found Who took it out.

1895 Amer. Bookmaker Oct. p. xviii/1 (advt.) Ask around, and you'll find out that the very leaders in the printing art value the Wetter Numbering Machine as a necessity to the profit pulling power of their establishments.

1960 H. Lee To kill Mockingbird vii. 68 Atticus said someone must have lost it, and had we asked around?

2003 S. Mawer Fall (2004) xxii. 366 I asked around, in the local pub, the corner shop, the ARP post, that kind of thing.

to ask away

†1. transitive. To do away with by asking. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > memory > effacement, obliteration > cancellation, revocation > annul, cancel, revoke [verb (transitive)]

fordoOE

allayOE

withdrawc1290

withclepe13..

again-callc1390

to call againc1390

repealc1390

revokec1400

unmakec1400

rive1415

annulc1425

abroge1427

uncommandc1430

discharge?a1439

retreatc1443

retract1501

cancela1513

abrogate?1520

dissolve1526

extinct1531

rescind1531

abrenounce1537

infringe1543

recall1565

unwrite1577

extinguish1590

exauctorate1593

relinquish1594

unact1594

to strike off1597

undecide1601

unpass1606

to take off1609

to draw back1610

reclaim1615

to put back1616

abrenunciate1618

unrip1622

supersedeate1641

to set off1642

unassure1643

unorder1648

to ask away1649

disdetermine1651

unbespeak1661

undecree1667

reassumea1675

off-break1702

circumduct1726

raise1837

resiliate1838

denounce1841

disorder1852

pull1937

1649 J. Milton Εικονοκλαστης xv. 146 His prayer is so ambitious of Prerogative, that it dares ask away the Prerogative of Christ himself.

2. intransitive. colloquial. To proceed to ask a question or questions; esp. used as an expression of permission or encouragement to do so. Cf. to fire away 1b at fire v.¹ Phrasal verbs.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > undertaking > beginning action or activity > begin action or activity [verb (intransitive)] > and proceed with rapidity

to fire away1756

to ask away1844

rev1939

1844 Asiatic Jrnl. & Monthly Misc. 3 249 The latter..begged to be allowed to ask a question. ‘Ask away,’ said the missionary.

1920 A. Christie Mysterious Affair at Styles v. 105 ‘I want to ask you something.’ ‘Ask away.’

2013 J. Fussner Leviathan Awaits xiv. 101 ‘I also have something to ask you.’ Then without hesitation, she started asking away.

to ask back

1. transitive. To invite to accompany one to one's place of residence.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > social event > hospitality > invitation > invite [verb (transitive)]

bidc1200

prayc1300

desirec1325

invite1553

convite1568

indite1599

encourage1728

book1840

to ask back1844

1844 C. G. F. Gore Popular Member I. iv. 87 Perceval spelt so hard this morning at the Asylum to be asked back to dine and sleep at Stainhurst.

1963 Guardian 25 July 5/3 Miss Barrett..met Ward when he spoke to her in Oxford Street. He asked her back to his flat. She went, and had intercourse with him.

2009 S. Guillebaud More than Conquerors xi. 162 After one such tutorial in the first term, a similarly bedraggled young man asked me back for a ‘coffee’!

2. transitive. To invite to come back again.

ΚΠ

1857 Chambers's Jrnl. 10 Jan. 30/1 I shall..get upon the most intimate terms, and so be ‘asked back’.

1891 A. M. Harrison Story Life Mackay of Uganda xi. 145 Even were we to leave we should soon be asked back.

1950 K. Ferrier Let. 15 June (2003) iv. 121 The crits are marvellous..and I've been asked back for a recital.

2010 R. Gurney Digging for Austral. ix. xxxii. 286 Alex asked me back for a second more formal interview.

3. transitive. To invite in return for an earlier invitation that was accepted.

ΚΠ

1859 Getting On II. xxxix. 295 He lived as solitary a life as a hermit,..from fear of meeting a friend who might ask him to his rooms, and expect to be asked back in return.]

1862 A. Robins Present Position ‘Liberal’ Party ii. 28 A peer would entertain an emancipated pauper to a cutlet every day; and then the peer would be asked back by the emancipated pauper.

1910 J. Ayscough Mezzogiorno x. 55 Tripoli is at all events hospitable... Gillian, how can we ask anybody back—here?

1922 ‘R. Crompton’ More William (1924) xiv. 231 But if he asks you to his you must ask him back.

1996 S. Figiel Where we once Belonged (1998) 23 It's not half as much fun when they play alone and..they'll ask us back anyway.

to ask down

transitive. To invite to come and stay in the country, or away from a major centre.

ΚΠ

1784 Hist. Julia Benson II. xxxvi. 71 This stranger she asks down ‘to Wiltshire!’ I should have had a very bad opinion of her.

1834 C. Dickens in Monthly Mag. Feb. 152 If I see him..tomorrow, perhaps I'll ask him down.

1948 M. Laski Tory Heaven x. 138 Lord Starveleigh asked him down to address the electors.

1978 A. L. Rowse Diaries (2003) 122 Q. knew Lord Alfred Douglas—who asked himself down to stay at Fowey.

1996 A. Stevens November Tree ix. 153 Rowena..always pleads pressure and busyness when Phyllida asks her down.

to ask out

transitive. To invite to an entertainment or on a date.

ΚΠ

1845 G. Webster Disputed Inheritance I. vi. 125 I was asked out to a scrap dinner.

1864 H. C. Adams White Brunswickers x. 167 Billy moved heaven and earth to get asked out on the same days.

1888 R. Kipling In Pride of Youth in Plain Tales from Hills 183 Now and again he was asked out to dinner.

1934 H. G. Wells Exper. in Autobiogr. II. viii. 532 People..were beginning to ask us out.

1949 E. Atkinson & G. Atkinson Perfect Idiot i. 25 She stood me up at the last minute—the only time I asked her out. Gave me some flimsy excuse. And I made the date weeks ahead.

1979 M. Kolbenschlag Kiss Sleeping Beauty Good-bye 54 Every woman knows what it is to be ‘ditched’ of an evening by a female friend, when that significant ‘One’ phones and asks her out.

2006 New Yorker 16 Oct. 51/1 Roger..gets up the nerve to ask out his secret dream girl.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	ask
释义	askn.¹ Brit. /ɑːsk/, /ask/, U.S. /æsk/ Forms: Old English–early Middle English æsce, early Middle English as, early Middle English axe, 1600s aske, 1600s– ask. Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a word inherited from Germanic. Partly formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: ask v. Etymology: In early use (in Old English) < the same Germanic base as ask v. (with i-mutation of the stem vowel caused by the suffix); compare Old Frisian āske (feminine) demand, legal claim, Middle Dutch eisc , eesch , eisch (masculine) question, request, wish, demand (Dutch eis , †eisch requirement), Middle Low German eisch (masculine), esche (feminine) request, demand, Old High German eiska (feminine) demand (Middle High German eisch enquiry, investigation, demand, German †heisch ). In later use directly < ask v. Compare asking n.In Old English a weak feminine (jōn -stem); continental Germanic parallels are strong feminine or strong masculine. The prefixed form ge-ǣsce (compare y- prefix) is also attested. In Old English the stem-final consonant is palatalized and assibilated (compare the inflected form ǣscean ). The expected form in Middle English would be ēshe ; the attested Middle English forms either show the influence of forms of ask v. or (more probably) show a new formation by conversion from the verb. †1. Asking, enquiry; spec.* (Law) inquisition, searching, esp. for the recovery of stolen property. Obsolete.Only in Old English.In quot. lOE¹ with reference to financial compensation arising from legal inquisition or searching. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > [noun] > act or instance of askOE askingOE questionc1350 demandc1386 inquestc1400 interrogationc1405 inquisitionc1440 questioninga1450 inquirea1500 manda1500 terogatores1511 interrogatory1533 inquiry1548 interrogator1561 interrogativea1586 quaere1589 intergatory1590 A1591 Q1591 query1610 interrogate1633 starter1673 querical1699 speer1788 qy.1819 Q1902 OE Rule St. Benet (Corpus Oxf.) Prol. 3 We gehyraþ æfter ðisse æscan [a1225 Winteney æscen; L. interrogationem] drihten andswariendne. lOE Laws of Æðelstan (Rochester) vi. ii. 175 & [þæt we] hæfdon us ealle þa æscean [L. (Quadripartitus) inquisitionem] gemæne. lOE Laws of Æðelstan (Rochester) vi. v. 176 Þæt man ne forlæte nane æscan naðer ne be norðan mearce ne be suðan, ær ælc man hæbbe ane rade geriden þe hors habbe. lOE Revival of Monasticism in D. Whitelock et al. Councils & Synods (1981) I. 144 He wearð æfter þysse æscan..swiþe mid þære blæsan soþere lufe ontend. 2. A thing asked for; a request, a demand. Somewhat rare except in uses at sense 3. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > [noun] wordOE askc1275 boonc1275 request1395 requisition?a1450 contemplationa1475 regratec1475 requirement1530 interrogation1551 requiry1598 vote1632 c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 529 Eouer axe ich eow leue. a1350 St. Juliana (Ashm.) (1957) 81 Þis Justice..wende hire habbe as is spouse, ac he failede of is as [rhyme was]. 1656 N. Hardy First Epist. John: 1st Pt. (ii. 1) xx. 357 God saith concerning Christ, thou art my Son, there presently followeth an Ask of me and I will give thee. 1781 T. Twining Let. 8 Dec. in Recreat. & Stud. (1882) 108 I am not so unreasonable as to desire you to..answer all my asks. 1904 Commerc. & Financial Chron. 1 Oct. 1321/4 (table) Price Friday Sept 30..Bid..Ask.] 1922 Punch 1 Nov. 420/1 I at last ‘got my ask’ to play for old Dogsbury Football Club against Fursley Rovers. 2011 P. Guber Tell to Win ii. vi. 120 This guy was running for President of the United States. An ask for $500,000 would have made sense, to push to the finish line. 3. spec. a. Whist and Bridge. A play or bid having the primary purpose of eliciting information about a partner's hand. Cf. asking bid n. at asking adj. Compounds. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > bridge > [noun] > actions or tactics > call > bidding > bid > other types of bid ask1872 overcall1890 rescue bid1912 game-goer1913 reverse bid1915 denial1916 rebid1916 overbid?1917 rescue?1917 under-call1923 jump1927 invitation1928 score-bid1928 approach1929 pre-empt1929 one-over-one1931 response1931 cue-bid1932 psychic1932 asking bid1936 reverse1936 shut-out1936 under-bid1945 controlled psychic1959 relay bid1959 raise1964 psych1965 multi1972 splinter bid1977 1872 Westm. Papers 1 Nov. 107 Who has not suffered when he has played correctly second hand..from his partner assuming that there has been an ask for trumps? 1925 R. F. Foster Mod. Bridge Tactics 199 If it is the fourth hand that overcalls, which is practically an ask, and your partner passes, you should [etc.]. 1997 E. Kantar Bridge for Dummies xv. 261 If the Blackwood bidder follows up a 4NT ace-ask with 5NT, he..asks his partner for kings. b. colloquial (originally Australian). With modifying word or phrase of size, as a big (also huge, etc.) ask. Something which is a lot to ask of someone; something difficult to achieve or surmount. Cf. tall order at tall adj. 8d.In early use chiefly in Sport. ΚΠ 1975 Bull. (Sydney) 26 Apr. 44/2 I mean, Gulcher, I'm a top earn… A big ask, though. They wanted a grand. 1987 Sydney Morning Herald 7 May 40/2 Four measly pounds is what the critics say. But according to his trainer..that four pounds is ‘a big ask’. 1994 J. Birmingham He died with Felafel in his Hand (1997) viii. 177 I'd..get him to wear the underpants consistently for six weeks on the road. (This was not a big ask given Milo's unwashed jeans-wearing record at King Street.) 2000 Rugby World June 25/1 It was a huge ask of my players, but their attitude throughout the week prior to the game was superb. 2003 Gloucester Citizen (Nexis) 1 Feb. 48 Every week is a bit of an ask—but the squad is very strong. 2014 D. Chapman Ascendant lxxiii. 301 A plane? Full of people?.. That is an enormous ask. c. = ask price n. at Compounds. ΚΠ 1981 Jrnl. Financial & Quantitative Anal. 16 601 The insight gained from the analysis of the stock trading model is that the spread between the bid and the ask is the price of immediate liquidity. 1987 C. D. Chase Mugged on Wall Street i. iii. 46 The broker adds his commission to the price by increasing the ‘ask’ (best available price to buy the security). 2005 Rev. Financial Stud. 18 621 (caption) The circles correspond to the first bids and asks updated 15 or more minutes into the next trading day. Compounds ask price n. the asking price for an item, spec. a financial security (= offer price n. at offer n.¹ Compounds). ΚΠ 1874 J. Duguid Lett. from India & Kashmir ix. 96 As the dealers usually accept about one third of the ‘ask price’, imagine the haggling necessary to arrive at something like real value. 1905 Weekly Northwestern Miller 8 Jan. 94/1 Springs are inactive with a wide range between bid and ask price on anything like round lots. 1950 Accounting Rev. 25 454 The ‘bid’ price of the bonds included under marketable securities was $13,500 and the ‘ask’ price was $14,000. 2003 D. L. Scott Wall St. Words 274 Picture, the bid and ask price at which a dealer is willing to buy or sell a security. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online December 2021). askn.² Brit. /ɑːsk/, /ask/, U.S. /æsk/, Scottish English /ask/, Irish English /æsk/ Forms: α. early Old English adexa, early Old English adexe, early Old English aðexe, late Old English adexta (perhaps transmission error). β. Middle English arske, Middle English–1600s aske, Middle English–1500s 1700s– ask; Scottish pre-1700 awsk, pre-1700 1700s– ask. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Middle Dutch egedisse , also (with remodelling of the first element after hāghe hedgerow: see hag n.²) haghetisse (Dutch hagedis ), Old Saxon egithassa , egithessa (Middle Low German ēgedisse ), Old High German egidehsa , eithesa (Middle High German egedehse , eidehse , German Eidechse ), of uncertain origin. Compare later asker n.²Further etymology. The Germanic word is perhaps a compound < a Germanic base seen also (with suffixation) in il n. + the Germanic base of Old High German dehsa , Middle Low German dīse bundle of flax for spinning (see distaff n.), perhaps with allusion to the shape of this reptile, although the details of the phonological and semantic development are both uncertain. Form history. In Old English a weak feminine (āðexe ). The forms adexa, adexe, adexta are attested in glosses copied by continental scribes (compare quots. eOE¹, eOE² at α. ) and may be influenced in spelling by Old High German egidehsa . The β. forms arise from shortening of the α. forms. With form arske perhaps compare asker n.² Scottish, English regional (north midlands and northern), and Irish English. A newt; (sometimes also) the common lizard. Cf. asker n.²In Old English always rendering classical Latin lacerta lacert n.¹ ΘΚΠ the world > animals > amphibians > order Urodela or Caudata > [noun] > family Salamandridae (newts) > newt askeOE newta1425 askerc1450 swift1530 eft1584 water-ask1772 the world > animals > reptiles > order Squamata (lizards and snakes) > suborder Lacertilia (lizards) > [noun] > member of (lizard) askeOE lacerta1382 lizarda1382 α. eOE Latin-Old Eng. Gloss. (St. Gallen 913) in H. D. Meritt Old Eng. Glosses (1945) 44/2 Corcodillus bestia in flumine similis lacęrtę, id est adexan. eOE Leiden Gloss. (1906) 34/1 Lacerta, adexa [lOE Sélestat adexta]. eOE Corpus Gloss. (1890) 71/2 Lacerta, aðexe. β. c1390 MS Vernon Homilies in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1877) 57 254 Snakes and Neddres þer gon he fynde, And grete Blake todus goinde, Askes [a1400 Coll. Phys. arskes], and oþur wormes felle.a1449 W. Bower in Fordun's Scotichronicon (1759) II. 376 Wyth prik ȝoukand eris, as the awsk gleg.a1500 (c1425) Andrew of Wyntoun Oryg. Cron. Scotl. (Nero) i. l. 1389 Nakyn best of wenom..As ask or eddyr, tade or pade.?1553 (c1501) G. Douglas Palice of Honour (London) i. l. 349 in Shorter Poems (1967) 30 The watyr stank, the feild was odious Quhar Dragonys, lessertis, askis, edders swattryt.1611 J. Florio Queen Anna's New World of Words Magrasio, an Eft, a Nute, an Aske.1740 Diary A. Brodie 184 I..was feard for teads and asks.1787 S. Pegge Sylloge Inscriptions Eng. Churches 63 There is the effigies of an Asker, called in the Yorkshire dialect an Ask or Newt, cut in two different places of the steeple.1796 R. Burns in J. Johnson Scots Musical Museum V. 424/2 They'll turn me in your arms lady, Into an esk and adder.1813 Edinb. Med. & Surg. Jrnl. 9 318 He vomited an animal of the lacerta class, what is usually called an aske in this country, alive, and of full size.1838 A. Leighton in Wilson's Hist. Tales Borders IV. 31 He can lurk in the green moss like the yellow-wamed ask.1876 S. Smiles Life Sc. Naturalist ii. 44 He looked at the beast. It was not an eel. It was very like an ask.1907 Trans. Dumfries & Galloway Nat. Hist. & Antiquarian Soc. 79 Lizard (Lacerta vivipara), called newts, asks, and mankeepers in the country.1910 P. W. Joyce Eng. as we speak it in Ireland xiii. 212 Ask, a water-newt.1992 D. Purves Shakespeare's Tragedie o Macbeth iv. i. 41 Edder's fork an slae-wurm's steing, esk's hint-leg an houlet's weing.1998 T. P. Dolan Dict. Hiberno-Eng. 13/1 I think I saw an ask under that stone yesterday. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online June 2022). askv. Brit. /ɑːsk/, /ask/, U.S. /æsk/ Forms: α. Old English ascian, Old English askede (past tense, rare), early Middle English ascie, early Middle English asskenn ( Ormulum), early Middle English easki (south-west midlands), early Middle English escie (south-west midlands), early Middle English eski (south-west midlands), early Middle English eskie (south-west midlands), Middle English ascke, Middle English aski, Middle English asky, Middle English askye, Middle English assk, Middle English esce (south-west midlands), Middle English hask, Middle English haske, Middle English–1600s aske, Middle English– ask, 1500s– askt (past tense and past participle, now nonstandard), 1600s asck; Scottish pre-1700 alscyt (past tense), pre-1700 alsk, pre-1700 1700s– ask. β. Old English achsian (rare), Old English acsian, Old English acsyan (rare), Old English acxian (rare), Old English ahsian, Old English ahxian (rare), Old English aoxode (past tense, transmission error), Old English axan (perhaps transmission error), Old English axian, Old English axsian, Old English oxa (imperative, transmission error), late Old English agsode (past tense), late Old English ahcsian, late Old English axxede (past tense), late Old English æxode (Kentish, past tense), early Middle English acsiege (1st singular present indicative), early Middle English acxie, early Middle English ahsie, early Middle English asxie, early Middle English axisige (1st singular present indicative, perhaps transmission error), early Middle English axoe (imperative, probably transmission error), early Middle English axoseden (past tense plural, transmission error), early Middle English axsie, early Middle English axsoian (transmission error), early Middle English axsye, early Middle English æxi, early Middle English eaxede (past tense), early Middle English echste (past tense), early Middle English haxi, Middle English acse, Middle English acsi, Middle English acsie, Middle English acsy, Middle English aixe, Middle English ak- (inflected form), Middle English aksy, Middle English auxe, Middle English axi, Middle English axie, Middle English axke, Middle English axse, Middle English axsy, Middle English axy, Middle English ecse, Middle English exe (north-west midlands, in a late copy), Middle English haxh- (inflected form), Middle English ix, Middle English ocsi, Middle English oksi, Middle English oxe, Middle English oxi, Middle English oxie, Middle English oxy, Middle English–1500s akse, Middle English–1600s (1700s– regional and nonstandard) ax Brit. /aks/, U.S. /æks/, Middle English–1600s (1900s– U.S. regional) axe, 1500s exd (past participle), 1600s (1800s Scottish) ax', 1900s– aks (Scottish (Shetland)), 2000s– axx (U.S. regional); English regional 1800s– arx, 1800s– ex, 1800s– hax. γ. Middle English aische, Middle English aishe, Middle English asch, Middle English asche, Middle English ashe, Middle English ass, Middle English assche, Middle English aste (past tense), Middle English aysche, Middle English aysse, Middle English eche, Middle English eisshe, Middle English esch, Middle English eschce, Middle English esche, Middle English essche, Middle English esse, Middle English esste (past tense), Middle English has, Middle English hasche, Middle English hash, Middle English hesshe, Middle English–1500s asse, Middle English–1500s asshe, Middle English–1500s (1800s– regional) ast (past tense), Middle English (1800s– regional) ast, 1800s– as't (English regional, past participle), 1800s– ast (regional, past participle), 1800s– asted (regional, past tense and past participle); also Scottish pre-1700 as, pre-1700 ase, pre-1700 ast (past tense). Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian āskia , āschia to demand, to claim (East Frisian easkje ), Middle Dutch eiscen , eescen , eischen , eeschen (also (rare) in forms with initial h- ) to ask, request, desire (Dutch eischen ), Old Saxon ēskon , ēscan to ask, demand, to search for, investigate (also ēscian (rare) to claim) (Middle Low German ēschen , eischen , also (rare) hēschen , heischen ), Old High German eiscōn , eiskōn to demand, ask, to search for, look for (Middle High German eischen , heischen , German heischen ) < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit iccháti seeks, wishes, éṣati seeks, Avestan isaiti longs for, Old Church Slavonic iskati to seek, search, Lithuanian ieškóti to search for, and perhaps further with classical Latin aeruscāre to go begging, to ask (see erustate v.). Compare ask n.¹ (a derivative formation from the same Germanic base).Germanic cognates. No cognates are recorded in Gothic or North Germanic (Swedish äska , Danish æske are later borrowings < Middle Low German). Forms in various West Germanic languages with initial h- probably arose by association with cognates of hight v.¹ (compare their use in the meanings ‘to command’ and ‘to summon’). Form history: (i) stem vowel. Originally the word had a long stem vowel (Old English ā < Germanic ai ), but shows shortening before the following consonant group in Middle English. The form with long vowel in modern standard southern British English reflects much later lengthening before a voiceless fricative (compare discussion at A n.). Middle English forms in o , attested chiefly in sources from the east midlands and south-east, are the regular reflexes of the form with unshortened vowel. An (irregular) late Old English by-form with stem vowel ǣ is very occasionally attested (compare e.g. the past tense form æxode at β. forms and also the (prefixed) verbal noun geǣscung asking, enquiry, for expected geāscung ); this is reflected in Middle English (chiefly shortened) forms in ea and e , which are attested chiefly in sources from the south-west midlands and neighbouring parts of the south-west. The origin of the Old English stem vowel ǣ is unclear, and may show the analogical influence of the cognate noun (ge)ǣsce (see ask n.¹). A parallel weak Class I formation from the same base would show regular i-mutation of ā to ǣ (in addition to palatalization and assibilation of the consonant group: see below); however, the evidence for the existence of such a verb is very slight: Old English ǣscan , which appears to show the required form, is attested only once in a late manuscript in the specific legal sense ‘to search for or lay claim to (stolen property)’, and could alternatively be explained as showing a derivative of ask n.¹ Form history: (ii) consonant group. The β. forms show metathesis of /sk/ to /ks/. This is very well attested in Old English but is chiefly found in late West Saxon. However, in Middle English the β. forms are more widely distributed throughout the midlands and south. Such metathetic forms have long been regarded as nonstandard (the anonymous Writing Scholar's Compan. (1695) describes ax as vulgar), although they reflect the usual pronunciation of the word in many regional varieties of English. The γ. forms chiefly appear to show palatalization and assibilation of the stem-final consonant group. This is not expected for an Old English weak Class II verb such as āscian , and may once again reflect influence from ask n.¹ (which shows assibilation in Old English; compare discussion at that entry); however, compare also the rare weak Class I verb ǣscan mentioned above. Middle English forms indicative of the pronunciation /ʃ/ are attested from the midlands (especially the south-west midlands) and the south. In some instances γ. forms such as ass, asse reflect pronunciation with /s/ instead, resulting from simplification of the consonant cluster of the α. forms; compare:a1425 (?a1350) Gospel of Nicodemus (Galba) (1907) l. 834 Þarfore þis thing we ass [rhymes pas, has]: bides þam bring Ioseph.a1450 York Plays (1885) 69 I am hys hayre, as elde will asse [rhymes passe, hasse, was].a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xxi. 264 Sir, as ye haue hast [rhymes trespast, agast], it shal be.This development appears to have occurred first in Middle English texts of northern provenance, where the past tense forms askt , askte were simplified to ast, aste, subsequently giving rise to inferred present tense forms like asse (see R. Jordan Handb. der mittelenglischen Grammatik (ed. 2, 1934) §182 note 1). It is unclear whether the present tense form ast shows a levelling of such past tense forms, or alternatively an assimilation of final -sk to -st (see E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §398, and perhaps compare β. forms at mast n.² and discussion at that entry). Prefixed forms in Old English. In Old English the prefixed form geāscian (compare y- prefix) is also found in the senses ‘to ask, to enquire after, seek out, to request to see, to find out, learn, ascertain’; it is found much more commonly in the latter group of senses than the unprefixed form, which is very rare in these senses in Old English (compare sense 8). Compare also beāscian to ask (in order to obtain information) (compare be- prefix), ofāscian of-ask v. Notes on senses. With use with reference to the reading of marriage banns (see sense 1d) compare Anglo-Norman demander (end of the 13th cent. in this sense). A number of prepositional constructions in ask v. have earlier French parallels in demander demand v.; with ask to at sense 6b compare Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French demander à ; with ask of compare Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French demander de . With to ask account at sense 11b(b) compare Middle French, French demander compte (c1372 in the passage translated in quot. ?c1450 at sense 11b(b)). To say something to a person with the aim of eliciting a response (whether the goal is information, a thing desired, or an action), and derived uses. I. With information as the goal. See also branch V. 1. To say or otherwise communicate (something) in order to obtain an answer or information. a. transitive. With indirect or, less commonly, direct question as object. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > ask, enquire [verb (transitive)] fraynea800 speerc888 askOE fand?c1225 inquirec1290 asearch1382 queerc1390 assay1393 to take knowledge of1399 interrogate1600 quaere1627 query1644 OE Dispute between Edwin & his Mother (Sawyer 1462) in A. J. Robertson Anglo-Saxon Charters (1956) 153 Þa acsode þe bisceop hwa sceolde andswerian for his moder. c1175 ( Ælfric Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 39 Ða axode Petrus: Hu ofte sceal ic forȝifæn? c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 10278 Teȝȝ sholldenn..asskenn whatt he wære. c1300 St. Christopher (Harl.) 149 in F. J. Furnivall Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 63 Þis gode man..eschte what hi wolde. c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 2898 Noyse & cri he herd in þat cite: He gan oxy what it miȝt be. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7887 He askes, quat was þat leuedi? 1455 E. Clere in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 108 He askid what the princes name was. c1475 (?c1425) Avowing of King Arthur (1984) l. 377 Gauan asshes, ‘Is hit soe?’ 1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes f. 7 Socrates asked wherfore he was so vengeable eagre. 1549 M. Coverdale et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. II. Rom. Prol. sig. ++i He axeth not whether good workes are to be done or not. 1595 H. Chettle Piers Plainnes Prentiship sig. C4 Aeliana..askt if hee were a Cretan or a stranger in that Countrey. 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 iii. ii. 63 May I aske how my Ladie his wife doth? View more context for this quotation 1647 Perfect Occurr. Parl. No. 16. 123 At the crackling of fire, His Majesty (merrily) asked if there were fireworkes. 1682 I. Newton Let. 12 Sept. (1960) II. 383 If it be asked why those objects appeare in this or that situation & distance one from another, the answer should be [etc.]. 1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 454. ⁋6 To ask what I wanted. 1743 H. Fielding Jonathan Wild iii. iv, in Misc. III. 210 Another of his Gang..asked if he should blow out the Brains of all the Passengers. 1791 A. Radcliffe Romance of Forest I. v. 196 May I presume to ask what has interested you thus in her favour? 1824 J. Hogg Private Mem. Justified Sinner 257 I..asked whom it was his pleasure to personify to-night? 1890 Athenæum 11 Oct. 478/3 The student will..then naturally ask how he is to distinguish the perfective from the imperfective aspect. 1934 Boys' Life Dec. 3/4 We've been receiving more and more letters asking how to get copies of back issues. 1946 C. Bush Case Second Chance ii. 22 ‘That settled his hash’ asked Wharton. 1974 J. Willwerth Jones vii. 101 They ask if I sell drugs. I say maybe. 1990 A. Townley Nat. Riding vi. 104/1 The rider asks the horse if it is sufficiently well balanced to change pace. 2009 New Yorker 26 Oct. 76/2 When I asked where he planned to go, he said, ‘Maybe Rome, or maybe the Water City.’ b. transitive. With the question indicated by a noun denoting its content, as the way, a name, a person's age, etc. ΚΠ OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Gen. (Claud.) xxxii. 29 Hwi axast [L. quaeris] ðu minne naman? c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) l. 5523 Þou no schalt aske name our No wo we beþ no non of our No apose ous of our being. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Gen. xxxii. 29 Wherto askis [a1425 L.V. axist] þou my name? a1450 St. Edith (Faust.) (1883) l. 2755 Ryse up..& þe way asshe To Wyltone. c1503 R. Arnold Chron. f. lxxix/2 To answere him that axith the lawe off the lorde. 1549 H. Latimer 1st Serm. before Kynges Grace sig. Biiii The other axed y^e price, he sayd: xx. nobels. 1598 F. Rous Thule i. sig. B 3^v And then her state he curious doth enquire, Asking the cause of her distressed plight. 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 i. i. 39 He askt the way to Chester. View more context for this quotation 1603 P. Holland tr. Plutarch Morals 1312 Eudoxus..asked the reason, why Ceres had no charge and superintendance over Love matters. ?1692 R. Abbott Jrnl. (1864) 5 A Clark came out to ask my Cristian name. 1760 Minutes Trial Lord Geo. Sackville 18 This officer being asked the distance from their battery to the enemy? Answered 800 or 1000 yards. 1777 P. Thicknesse Year's Journey France & Spain II. 112 A Gentleman at Cambridge, who..on being asked the use of it, said, [etc.]. 1832 Ld. Tennyson Dream Fair Women xxx, in Poems (new ed.) 129 Ask thou not my name. 1839 P. J. Bailey Festus 227 He asks the hour. 1920 E. Wharton Age of Innocence i. xiv. 121 She..was so sympathetic and beautiful that my wife was too dazzled to ask her name. 1921 C. Sandburg Smoke & Steel 68 There is no authority in the phone book for us to call and ask the why. 1949 Evening Tribune (Hornell, N.Y.) 18 May 4/2 The big globalist asked the score. 1955 W. W. Denlinger Compl. Boston i. 158 Without asking the price, the woman said to buy the dog. 1973 Chicago Tribune 1 Sept. 4/1 When I took the taxi trip I didn't even ask the fare. 1999 R. T. Davies Queer as Folk: Scripts Episode 8. 200 I'll get bar work,..they never ask your age. c. transitive. With the word question as object, or a pronoun (as this) with a question as referent, or an indefinite pronoun (as something).In quot. OE² with the pronoun in the genitive. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > ask, enquire [verb (transitive)] > ask a question askOE puta1350 inquirea1400 speera1500 demand1502 pose1862 to put up1901 lob1952 OE Rule St. Benet (Corpus Cambr.) xxxviii. 62 Nan ne gedyrstlæce, þæt he be þære sylfan rædinge þærinne ænig ðing ahsige. OE Homily: Invention of Cross (Auct. F.4.32) in M.-C. Bodden Old Eng. Finding of True Cross 75 Gif þeos cwen þises axian wille þonne behealdan ge hwæþer ge hit hire gecyþan willen. a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 67 Þre questiouns beeþ i-axed. a1400 (?a1325) Medit. on Supper of our Lord (Harl.) (1875) 430 Some axen questyons to do hym wrong. 1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. BBv Saynt Austen asketh a question: How hye reacheth y^e house of perfection? 1603 P. Holland tr. Plutarch Morals 204 To reproch the demandant, as though hee had little skill and discretion, to aske a thing of him who could not give the same. 1683 in Colonial Rec. Pennsylvania (1852) I. 66 The Question was asked in Councill whether Peace Makers should sitt once a month. 1711 E. Ward Life Don Quixote II. xxix. 122 Let me know the right Of all things I have ask'd, or by This Arm you shall this Instant dye. 1756 W. Toldervy Hist. Two Orphans III. xxiii. 111 And now you may ax as many questions as you please. 1809 Supernatural Mag. 36 That is a question I will not answer. Ask something else. 1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam xiv. 22 And ask a thousand things of home. View more context for this quotation 1883 E. Lynn Linton Ione II. xx. 179 She asked this as calmly, almost glacially, as if she were not interested. 1937 V. Woolf Years 3 He had a question to ask; he turned to ask it; but his friends were gone. 1990 A. Townley Nat. Riding vi. 104/1 The rider's whole attention is required for the dialogue with his or her horse, a dialogue which starts by asking the horse a question. 2009 New Yorker 28 Sept. 55/3 He informed himself deeply, asked hard questions. d. transitive. (a) To announce or read (banns) in church before an intended marriage, calling on any who have objections to put them forward; to publish (banns); (also) to announce publicly the name(s) of (a person or persons intending marriage), usually in passive, in to be asked in church; (now archaic); †(b) to announce the finding of (something lost, a stray animal, etc.) in church, calling on any who have claims to put them forward (obsolete).The usual verb with ‘banns’ is now publish (see publish v. 1b).In quot. a1661 in figurative context. ΘΚΠ society > communication > information > announcing or proclaiming > announce or proclaim [verb (transitive)] > as lost, found, etc. aska1450 proclaim1530 a1450 (?a1390) J. Mirk Instr. Parish Priests (Claud.) (1974) l. 203 Aske the banns thre halydawes. 1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Surueyeng xv. f. 28^v They ought to aske them [sc. stray cattle] thre sondayes in thre or four next parysshe churches, and also crye them thre tymes in thre the nexte market townes. a1533 Ld. Berners tr. Arthur of Brytayn (?1560) lxxxvi. sig. Ddv The Bishoppe..there did aske the Banes betwene them. 1563 in F. J. Furnivall Child-marriages, Divorces, & Ratifications Diocese Chester (1897) 61 The banes were not askid in the church wherto he doth resort. 1589 Articles enquired Dioces of London sig. A3^v Whether your Parson, Vicar or Curate haue maried anie person not being three seueral Sondaies or Festiuali daies lawfully asked in their parish Churches. 1606 Wily Beguilde 58 We must be askt in Church next Sunday. a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) ii. i. 180 The day When I shall aske the banes, and when be married. View more context for this quotation 1647 J. Cleveland Poems in Char. London-diurnall (Wing C4662) 28 Who askt the Banes 'twixt these discolour'd Mates? a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Westm. 237 His head was ask'd, but never married to the English Crown. 1710 J. Chamberlayne Magnæ Britanniæ Notitia (ed. 23) ii. ii. iii. 395 Banns are always asked before marriage can be contracted. 1761 J. Newton Diary 14 June in Deserted Village (1992) 111 Ask'd two Couple, Preach'd a New Sermon. 1792 H. Piozzi Thraliana 1 June (1942) ii. 840 He had the Girl asked in Christ Church Surrey three Times..without her Consent or even Knowledge. 1841 J. W. Orderson Creoleana ii. 14 The fair sex..preferring to be ‘asked in church’. 1861 C. Dickens Great Expectations I. vii. 100 I offered to your sister to keep company, and to be asked in church. 1914 W. S. Walsh Heroes & Heroines Fiction 12/2 Robin pulled off his gown and invested Little John in it, who asked the bans seven times and performed the ceremony. 1920 M. Gyte Diary 8 Feb. (1999) 251 Gladys Brockley was asked in church first time. 1948 M. Bowden Comm. on Gen. Prol. to Canterbury Tales xiv. 219 The priests duty was then to ask the banns in the mother tongue. 2004 B. J. Corrigan Playhouse Law in Shakespeare's World iv. 149 The first step into obscurity is in agreeing to marry each other but failing to set the date or ask the banns. 2. To speak to or otherwise communicate with (someone) in order to obtain an answer or information. Also figurative and in figurative contexts. a. transitive. Without construction (with the question asked understood contextually). ΚΠ OE West Saxon Gospels: Mark (Corpus Cambr.) xii. 34 Hine ne dorste nan mann ahsian. OE West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) ix. 21 Ahxiað [OE Lindisf. gefraignas; L. interrogate] hine sylfne, yllde he hæfð, sprece for hine sylfne. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 7949 Þe king. axede Ioram ah ne cuðe he nowiht þer-on. ?c1335 Erthe upon Erthe (Harl. 913) (1911) 2 (MED) Erþ askiþ erþ, and erþ hir answerid. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Job xii. 7 Aske the bestis, and thei shul teche thee. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Fairf. 14) l. 1001 Syn þou askis me..I wille þe telle. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Job xii. 7 Axe the catell, & they shal enfourme the. 1579 T. Lodge Protogenes 13 Ask Josephus, and he wil tel you that Esay, Job and Salomon, voutsafed poetical practises. 1611 Bible (King James) 1 Cor. xiv. 35 Let them aske their husbands at home. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) ii. v. 31 Aske my dogge. View more context for this quotation 1631 W. Watts tr. St. Augustine Confessions xi. xiv. 755 What is time then? If nobody askes me, I can tell. 1681 E. Coxere in B. Cusack Everyday Eng. 1500–1700 (1998) 274 He Toulld me he woulld Aske y^e Capten. 1727 J. M. Smythe Rival Modes ii. 19 If he should forget..I can but rub up his Memory with asking him. 1733 A. Pope Ess. Man: Epist. II 14 Ask your own Heart, and nothing is so plain. 1793 M. Wollstonecraft Let. 30 Dec. (2003) 236 Where shall I find a word to express the relationship which subsists between us?—Shall I ask the little twitcher? 1842 Ld. Tennyson Dora in Poems (new ed.) II. 39 I ask'd him, and he said, He could not ever rue his marrying me. 1880 T. G. Hake Maiden Ecstasy 5 She answers not, but seems to ask the sea And darkly pluming cloud. 1906 N.Y. Evening Post 8 Oct. 12 Ask the Aislemen and Elevator men. 1955 W. Faulkner Fable (U.K. ed.) 333 ‘Ask him,’ he said, indicating the driver. 1972 P. D. James Unsuitable Job iii. 90 If you want the inside dope on Garforth House, you should ask him. 2005 A. Smith Accidental 61 Eve, taking him aside before supper in the kitchen, quietly asking him. b. transitive. With ‘saying’, etc., and the question (in direct speech). Now archaic. ΚΠ OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xii. 10 Hi ahsudon hyne þus cweðende [L. interrogabant eum dicentes], Ys hyt alyfed to hælenne [etc.]. OE West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) i. 19 Hi axsodon hine [c1200 Hatton axeden hym] & þus cwædon, Hwæt eart þu? c1175 ( Ælfric's Homily on Nativity of Christ (Bodl. 343) in A. O. Belfour 12th Cent. Homilies in MS Bodl. 343 (1909) 78 Heo him [sc. Christ] axodon mid onde & cwæden [OE Julius axodon crist], ‘Sæȝe us, la! hwæt eart ðu?’ c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Luke xxiii. 3 Forsothe Pilat axide him, seyinge [L. interrogavit eum dicens], Ert thou kyng of Jewis? c1450 Medit. on Life of Christ (Michigan 1) 5 (MED) Sayn jon..haskede and sayd to our lorde, ‘who ys yt shall be tray þe?’ 1530 Bible (Tyndale) Gen. iv. f. xxxi^v And I asked her saynge: whose doughter art thou? 1611 Bible (King James) John ix. 19 They asked them, saying, Is this your son? View more context for this quotation 1634 J. G. Kenmuir Last & Heavenly Speech (1703) 24 This Gentleman asked him, saying, my Lord, what Comfort hath your Soul in your love towards the Saints. 1777 Witty Exploits G. Buchanan (new ed.) i. 8 No sooner did he come before them, but they asked him, saying, ‘Well George, did you see any body to trouble you by the way?’ 1822 Asiatic Jrnl. & Monthly Reg. Feb. 128/2 Sohrab asked him, saying, ‘is this proper..that the chiefs should..approach a world-governing sovereign, with their coronets on their heads?’ 1905 H. T. Francis tr. Jātaka V. xxi. 246 After a friendly greeting Sutasoma asked him, saying, ‘Friend, you are tired with your journey. Whence have you come?’ 1924 J. I. Eadie tr. Amharic Reader 34 The king being startled, thinking him ill, asked him saying, ‘What is it, are you well?’ 2004 tr. W. Chafe in B. Swann Voices from Four Direct. iv. 528 Then he asked her, saying, ‘Grandmother, why is it that you don't eat potatoes?’ 3. transitive. With double object (the person and the matter in question). To say or otherwise communicate (something) in order to obtain an answer or information from (someone). a. With indirect or direct question as the second object. ΚΠ OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 172 Dyonisius þa axode þone ærendracan, ofwundrod: eart þu la se blinda? OE West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) xxi. 12 Nan þæra þe þar sæt ne dorste hine axian hwæt he wære. a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 35 Esca hine hwet he habbe biȝeten. a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 25 Þe preost me walde eskien..hwa me scriue. c1225 (?c1200) Sawles Warde (Bodl.) (1938) 24 He easkeð ham ȝef ham biluueð to heren him. a1300 Passion our Lord 567 in R. Morris Old Eng. Misc. (1872) 53 Vre louerd hire gon axi, for hwi and for hwan Wepestu? a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 26465 I hask þe þen if it be nede. c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xviii. l. 294 I haue..hym..yasked Where he were god. a1450 St. Edith (Faust.) (1883) l. 3758 &, how he was..he dude hym asshe. ?a1500 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 15th Cent. (1939) 6 I yow ix qwen sal þu ris? 1545 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes (new ed.) f. lxvv Aske my fellawe if I be a thefe. 1584 R. Wilson Three Ladies of London sig. Cii My Ladie axes you when you will take possession of your house. 1611 Bible (King James) John xxi. 12 None of the disciples durst aske him, Who art thou? 1690 Athenian Mercury 31 Mar. 1/1 We be asked why the Mediterranean, West-Indian and Caspian Seas, and the Magellanick Streights have not their Tide? 1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 10. ¶5 I have heard them asking the first Man they have met with, whether there was any News stirring? 1760 H. Walpole Let. 14 Oct. in Corr. with G. Montagu (1941) I. 308 Fitzroy asked him if he thought they crossed the great American lakes in such little boats as one goes in to Vauxhall? 1817 S. T. Coleridge Coll. Lett. (1959) IV. 745 At length [I] asked him—Have you yourself seen any of these wonder-works? 1849 C. Dickens David Copperfield (1850) xxi. 212 I..asked him what o'clock it was. 1882 Cent. Mag. Nov. 53/1 I asked him why the Old Church did not sometimes invite their neighbors to their festivities? 1938 G. Greene Brighton Rock i. iii. 42 I'd like to have asked them why he left me like that. 1963 ‘J. le Carré’ Spy who came in from Cold xi. 101 And then I asked him, ‘Is this goodbye?’. 2010 N.Y. Mag. 24 May 22/1 He was in ‘a crew’, he says. I ask him what that entailed. b. With the word question as the second object, or a pronoun (as this) with a question as referent, or an indefinite pronoun (as something).In Old English typically with the second object in the genitive. ΚΠ eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) iv. iii. 266 Min fæder, mot ic þe ohtes ahsian? OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xxii. 46 Ne nan ne dorste of ðam dæge hyne nan þing mare axigean [OE Rushw. geascigan, c1200 Hatton axien; L. interrogare]. c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham Poems (1902) 131 Ich acsy þe a questioun. c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 489 Yow loueris axe I now this questioun. c1440 Prose Life Alexander (Thornton) (1913) 34 (MED) To asche þam certane questyons. 1532 T. More Confut. Tyndale in Wks. 427/1 I aske hym thys why: Why dydde he translate the same by thys englyshe woorde elder? 1581 B. Rich Farewell Militarie Profession sig. Bbiv Lette me aske you this question, doe you knowe my father, or naie. 1611 Bible (King James) Jer. xxxviii. 14 I will aske thee a thing; hide nothing from me. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iv. i. 14 Aske him some questions in his Accidence. View more context for this quotation 1653 H. Cogan tr. F. M. Pinto Voy. & Adventures lviii. 231 He prayed him to give him leave to ask him something. 1671 H. M. tr. Erasmus Colloquies 226 I much wonder that now thou thinkest on at last to ask me that. 1737 L. Clarke Compl. Hist. Bible II. v. 139 At last..Jesus was pleased to ask them a Question. 1796 G. Walpole in B. Edwards Proc. Maroon Negroes 19 Should there be any person so dull..as to think that another turn of the screw would be better, ask him this question. 1826 W. Hazlitt Plain Speaker II. 168 Ask him a question, ever so little out of the common road, and he stares you in the face. 1888 ‘M. Twain’ Meisterschaft 459 Whoever may ask us a Meisterschaft question shall get a Meisterschaft answer—and hot from the bat! 1921 Z. Grey Call of Canyon iv. 92 She never would have asked him that if she had not known she could bear inspection at such an inopportune moment. 1973 P. O'Brian HMS Surprise viii. 210 Stephen had asked him a question, and was waiting for an answer. 2003 N. Rush Mortals iii. 23 She mocks me when I freeze in mid-act when she asks me something. c. With the question indicated by a noun denoting its content, as the way, a name, a person's age, etc. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > find out, discover [verb (transitive)] > by asking or enquiring askOE speer1390 to get out1530 hark1561 hearken1590 outlearn1596 elicitate1642 elicita1676 OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 240 Martinus..axode smealice þa yldostan preostas þæs martyres naman. a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 386 (MED) Þe disciples..axede him þe stat of þe temple. c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. xi. l. 111 (MED) I..askede hire þe heiȝe wey wher Clergye dwelleþ. c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Squire's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 301 The kyng axeth this knyght The vertu of this Courser. a1533 J. Frith Mirroure (?1536) iii. sig. Bi When he sawe the shepharde so sore lamentynge, he reynde his horse & asked him the cause of his greate waylyng. 1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II i. iii. 9 Aske him his name. View more context for this quotation 1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xxiv. 115 Aske him his purposes why he appeares Vpon this call oth' trumpet. View more context for this quotation 1665 R. Head Eng. Rogue I. xii. 111 As I was asking him the way to such a place, not caring what, I happily secured a penny loaf. 1671 J. Eachard Some Observ. Answer to Grounds Contempt of Clergy 183 Twisting the Ends of his Girdle, and asking him the price of his Brimmer. 1711 A. Pope Ess. Crit. 26 Ask them the Cause. 1784 S. Johnson Let. 27 Mar. in J. Boswell Life Johnson (1791) II. 485 He was not much less than eighty, when to a man of rank who modestly asked him his age, he answered, ‘Go look.’ 1830 R. Dawson Present State Austral. v. 201 I asked him..the reason of his having been ‘turned in’..to government. 1862 G. Borrow Wild Wales III. v. 41 I asked her her maiden name. 1894 Trenton (New Jersey) Times 8 Jan. A reporter asked him the latest news from Honolulu. 1948 J. Maresca My Flag is Down xi. 70 Finally I..ask her her destination. 1967 T. White Jewels of Elsewhen ix. 83 They asked me the time and place. 2001 I. McEwan Atonement 328 She would have asked him the way to the nearest café. 4. intransitive. With preposition. To enquire in order to learn about. a. With about, †of; (also in Old English) †by, †umbe.Cf. also sense 6c(b). ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > make inquiries [verb (intransitive)] speerc888 fraynec900 askOE inquirec1375 demand1382 fraista1400 enspeerc1440 hearken1523 question1584 interrogate1622 query1644 OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Deut. (Claud.) iv. 32 Axiað [OE Laud ahsiað] be ealdon dagon ðe wæron ær þonne ge. lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) (2009) I. xxxix. 361 Se þe ymb þæt ascian [eOE Otho acsian] wile. c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) 711 Wi axestu of craftes mine. ?c1530 in F. J. Furnivall Polit., Relig., & Love Poems (1903) 58 A nobyll and a wurshipfull hert nevyr askyth of womens dedys. 1590 J. Thorius tr. A. del Corro Spanish Grammer 36 These pronounes..many times are put in the neuter gender, as for example. When we aske about some thing that is happened. 1667 N. Fairfax Let. 5 Dec. in H. Oldenburg Corr. (1967) IV. 14 I askt about it & was answerd by a good Tiller thus. 1744 M. Bishop Life Matthew Bishop 137 I..was very inquisitive in asking about every particular Thing that was worth my Observation. 1823 M. Graham Jrnl. 18 Sept. in Captain's Wife (1993) 166 I went to-day to the public library to ask about some books. 1893 ‘M. Twain’ in Authors Club Bk. I. 158 I only just dropped over to ask about the little madam. 1956 H. Macmillan Diary 25 Apr. (2003) 553 Our Labour friends asked about the fate of the Social Democrats, now in prison in Russia and the Satellite states, and got a very dusty answer. 1991 Sci. Amer. Apr. 85/3 A personality test that asks about their attitudes toward a variety of situations. 2009 E. Wyld After Fire, Still Small Voice (2010) xvii. 185 He wished he'd..asked about sharking, as if he knew something on the subject himself. b. With after. esp. To enquire for news (of); spec. (British) to enquire for news of a person with regard to his or her health or well-being. Cf. sense 5b. ΚΠ eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. xxx. 531 Hwy ge nyllen ascian æfter þæm wisum monnum & æfter þæm weorðgeornum, hwylce hi wæron þa þe ær eow wæron? OE tr. Apollonius of Tyre (1958) xv. 24 Gif ðu for neode axsast æfter minum namon, ic secge þe ic hine forleas on sæ. a1250 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Nero) (1952) 76 Axinde efter tiðinges. c1300 St. Alban (Laud) l. 24 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 68 (MED) To seint Albon huy comen and echsten after him þere. c1330 (c1250) Floris & Blauncheflur (Auch.) (1966) l. 601 (MED) Þe Ameral asked after Blauncheflour, Whi and wharfore ȝhe ne come. c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. v. l. 543 I seygh neuere palmere..Axen after hym. c1450 King Ponthus (Digby) in Publ. Mod. Lang. Assoc. Amer. (1897) 12 47 (MED) Barnard come to the courte and asked aftre fayr Sydon. 1529 T. More Dyaloge Dyuers Maters iii. v. f lxxvii^v/2 How many bulles q I and bryefys haue ye sene that cam thense. By our lady q he bullys very few, and bryfe neuer non, for I neuer aske after them. 1586 R. Crowley Fryer Iohn Frauncis: Replication to Lewde Aunswere f. 3^v Come to Paris in Fraunce, and aske after the Minimes Fryers at Nigeon, so shall you finde me. 1603 R. Rogers Seuen Treat. ii. iv. 91 Then their hearts turne, and aske after him: then they desire to know more of his will and mind. 1677 E. Pococke Comm. Malachi iii. 51 Others did in scoff ask after him, or murmure at his delay. 1736 Gentleman's Mag. Oct. 608/2 When asking after him, I was told he was well and that was all. 1795 C. Smith Montalbert III. xxxii. 144 Asking after Mrs. Blagham, she invited him in. a1817 J. Austen Persuasion (1818) IV. ix. 169 I need not ask after her. She never misses, I know; and you must have seen her. View more context for this quotation 1867 G. MacDonald Ann. Quiet Neighbourhood III. vii. 168 To ask after their health when he met them. 1915 C. S. Churchill Let. 15 Dec. in W. S. Churchill & C. S. Churchill Speaking for Themselves (1999) vi. 134 The P.M. snuffled & asked after you & asked if you were happy. 1964 R. Church Voy. Home ii. 28 Whenever I asked after his permanently ailing wife, he beamed with benevolence. 2001 Y. Martel Life of Pi xxix. 78 The monkeys never asked after the news from Delhi; the rhinos and goats continued to live in peace. c. With for. esp. (a) To request to see or speak to (a person); (b) (now Scottish) to enquire about (a person) with regard to his or her health or well-being, to ask after. Cf. sense 13. ΚΠ ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. l. 2290 He asked for his archere, Walter Tirelle was haten maister of þat mister. 1534 N. Udall Floures for Latine Spekynge gathered oute of Terence f. 31 Menè quaeris, doest thou aske for me? or, dost thou seke me? or woldest thou haue me? 1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Caue inquisitioni ne mihi sis Se that thou be at home and driue me not to inquire and aske about for thee. 1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost iii. i. 162 And Rosaline they call her, aske for her. View more context for this quotation 1623 J. Bingham tr. Xenophon Hist. 30 They, after they came to our out-guards, asked for the Coronels. 1653 J. Lilburne Revived 9* With my true love to all the honest Sea-green blades, that in your quarters shall aske for me. 1671 in W. Fraser Red Bk. Grandtully (1868) II. 205 My Lord Advocat asked for you, and whither or not ye were maried. 1731 tr. R. Grotshead Test. Twelve Patriarchs 128 They hearing this, went and asked for me, saying, that they had bought me for money. 1778 J. R. Forster Observ. Voy. round World 6 We asked for its native place, and they called it Poēnamoo. 1820 Times 27 June 1/2 (advt.) For further particulars ask for Jack, at Mr. N. Benett's skin-yard, Bevis-marks. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 15 I saw the captain yesterday, he asked for George. 1913 F. Niven Ellen Adair xi. 132 Only vulgar people used the phrase ‘Tell her I was asking for her’. 1958 G. Greene Our Man in Havana i. iii. 31 Don't ask for me at the desk. 1984 M. Trotter Let. ?Dec. (SCOTS) I do hope we manage to see one another soon. Tell Chrissie we were asking for her. 2012 J. Thayil Narcopolis i. v. 67 I could have asked for a doctor. 5. transitive. With a person as object and the matter in question introduced by a preposition. To enquire of (a person) in order to learn about. a. With about, of; (also in Old English) †by, †umbe. ΚΠ eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. xxix. 519 Ic wolde get þæt þu me hwæthwugu openlicor gereahte be ðære wisan.., þæt is þæt ic ðe ær ymb acsode. OE West Saxon Gospels: Luke (Corpus Cambr.) ix. 45 Hi ne dorston hine be þam worde ahsian. a1250 (?c1200) Hali Meiðhad (Titus) (1940) 96 Aske þes cwenes..of hare liflade. c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) 29 Heo..eschte him of Engelonde, and of the manere there. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 1294 He..asked him of his errand. 1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 54 Thauncient man axid one of the marronners of thys matere. 1533 J. More tr. D. de Góis Legacye Prester Iohn f. 24^v Alfonsus began to aske hym of his legacy. c1580 ( tr. Bk. Alexander (1927) III. ii. l. 6392 To Lyonell syne went thay all And asked him of his effere. 1611 W. Vaughan Spirit of Detraction vi. xii. 274 They asked him about the blind man. a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) iv. iii. 286 Why do's he aske him of me? View more context for this quotation 1697 E. Ravenscroft Anatomist i. ii. 10 He has askt me of my Father and my Mother. 1824 Triumphal Arch 63 I've seen him bind up a poor soldier's wound and ask him about his wife and children. 1842 Ld. Tennyson Edwin Morris 23 Once I ask'd him of his early life. 1887 Temple Bar Dec. 512 ‘Something did come down here,’ I managed to articulate; ‘but don't ask me about it.’ 1916 H. G. Wells Mr. Britling sees it Through ii. 51 Herr Heinrich asked him of his position, whether he was above or below..Mr. Garvin or any other publicist. 1975 S. Zukin Beyond Marx & Tito iv. 126 When I ask her about her non-involvement in political life, she says, I'm just a little fish. 2013 Daily Tel. 1 Apr. 13/1 This newspaper knocked on his front door to ask him about the development. †b. With after. Cf. sense 4b. Obsolete. ΚΠ eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. xxix. 519 Swa is ðisse spræce þe þu me æfter acsast [lOE Bodl. æfter ascast]. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Miller's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 475 This parissh clerk..axed..a Cloistrer Ful pryuely after Iohn the Carpenter. 1760 G. A. Stevens Hist. Tom Fool I. xxvi. 175 I think I know a Thing, or two,—I think I do,—only ask Tomkyns after me; and if he says I'm to be had,..gi'me an Angel, and I'll give you 500. 1793 J. O'Keeffe London Hermit i. 4 Old Pranks. So, you've pick'd up the mocusses in the Indies!.. Never look'd after me. Whimmy. I ask'd every body after you. †c. With for. Cf. sense 4c. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 ii. iv. 363 Knocking at the Tauernes, And asking euery one for sir Iohn Falstaffe. View more context for this quotation 1621 M. Wroth Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania 125 Heauily and afflictedly hee pass'd on by the Sea side, till hee mette the Squier of Leandrus, who ioyfully asked him for his Lord. 6. With the person asked introduced by a preposition. †a. With at. Scottish in later use. (a) intransitive. To enquire of, put a question to. Obsolete.In quot. OE with by (i.e. about) a matter. ΚΠ OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 30 Hi axoden æt wyccum and æt wisum dryum, eac æt heora leasum godum be þære godes þinene. 1540 Bible (Great) 2 Chron. xviii. 1 Iehosephat sayde: is there yet here neuer a prophet more of the Lordes, that we myght aske at [1539 aske of] hym? 1600 E. Fairfax tr. T. Tasso Godfrey of Bulloigne viii. liii. 152 To spie at whom to aske we gazed round. (b) transitive. To put (a question) to. Obsolete. ΚΠ c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 367 Hii esste [a1400 Trin. Cambr. eschte, ?a1425 Digby asked, c1425 Harl. aschede, a1450 London Univ. askyd] anon at corineus, hou hii so hardi were. c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 924 Als Abraham..hit at himself asked. a1425 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Corpus Cambr. 61) (1894) ii. l. 894 Men moste axe at [a1413 Pierpont Morgan of] seyntes if it is Aught faire in heuene. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Ecclus. xxi. 17 It is axed at the mouth of the wyse. 1582 T. Bentley Seuenth Lampe Virginitie in Sixt Lampe Virginitie 178 They asking no questions at her: but making their prayer vnto God for her, let her goe. 1631 R. Bruce Centure in W. Cunningham Sermons (1843) 192 He asked at the Earl what would make a woman part with Child? 1668 J. Menzies Papismus Lucifugus To Rdr. sig. †††††4^v The Reply which Sir Francis Bacon gave to King James, when he asked at him whether the Pope were the Antichrist. 1683 J. Erskine Jrnl. 7 June (1893) 2 Mr Gordon, the clerk, asked at some if they thought Bothwell a rebellion. 1711 in C. A. Malcolm Minutes Justices of Peace Lanarkshire (1931) 65 He asked att Bailie Howesone whither he would have him to goe away. 1753 Trial J. Stewart 197 To ask any question at Allan Breck about the murder, which he now related to them. 1824 W. Scott Redgauntlet II. xii. 279 [I] wish to remain at perfect freedom to answer, if asked at, that I ken nothing of the matter. 1843 A. Bethune Sc. Peasant's Fire-side 47 ‘Why do you ask that question at me?’ 1882 Trans. Mining Inst. Scotl. 1881–82 3 12 When I asked the question at him it was merely for the sake of obtaining information. †b. transitive. With to. To put (a question) to. Obsolete. ΚΠ a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 43 Þa escade paul to mihhal hwet þe alde mon were. c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 859 Þan oxed anon sir Gij To þe barouns þat oned him bi: ‘What is he, þat ich kniȝt, Þat out of þe renge haþ him diȝt, Wiþ þo armes briȝt & schene?’ 1484 W. Caxton tr. G. de la Tour-Landry Bk. Knight of Tower (1971) xlvii. 69 Askyng to her, why she had trespaced his commaundement. 1593 G. Gifford Dialogue Witches sig. K^v Why needed he aske to her if he did know? 1640 J. Burroughs Sea Mans Direct. sig. G3^v If thou wouldest aske the question to thine owne heart for what cause is it that it is so dreadfull the answere will be, [etc.]. 1663 B. Gerbier Counsel to Builders 13 Asking to passengers what weather it was without doores. c. With of. (a) transitive. To put (a question) to. Also intransitive with object understood. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > ask, enquire [verb (transitive)] > of someone fraynea800 of-askOE askc1330 fraista1400 requirec1400 inquirec1430 c1330 Sir Orfeo (Auch.) (1966) l. 450 Now aske of me what it be. c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 1124 Þe Amyral of hym axeth..wat tydynge þay had y-broȝt. c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. i. l. 47 (MED) God..asked of hem, of whom spac þe lettre. ?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 40 I asked of the monkes..how this befell. a1500 (?c1450) Merlin 36 Axe of hem whi that that toure fill. c1525 W. Walter tr. G. Boccaccio Tytus & Gesyppus sig. A.iii^v From his frende Tytus he seldome went But often asked of hym in counsayle What thynge myght best for his sorowe preuayle. 1532 T. More Confut. Tyndale in Wks. 427/1 But I aske of Tyndall no such farre fet whyes, but a why of hys owne dede. 1562 W. Turner 2nd Pt. Herball f. 51 The sherif axed diligently of them..what they had done. 1570 J. Foxe tr. M. Luther in Actes & Monuments (rev. ed.) II. 1473/2 I aske of you,..whiche make these Articles respectiuely, some to be hereticall, some erroneous. 1602 W. Watson Decacordon Ten Quodlibeticall Questions 341 If you aske of the Mathematician, how to passe betwixt two periods, he will tell you that [etc.]. 1611 Bible (King James) 1 Sam. xxviii. 16 Wherefore then doest thou aske of me? View more context for this quotation 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 957 [One] of whom to ask Which way the neerest coast of darkness lyes. View more context for this quotation 1696 P. Ayres Revengeful Mistress 90 Scarce had Don Feliz the patience either to answer, or to ask any Questions of him, so overjoyed was he at the News. 1737 A. Pope Epist. of Horace ii. ii. 14 I ask these sober questions of my Heart. 1756 E. Burke Vindic. Nat. Society 86 Ask of Politicians the End for which Laws were originally designed; and they will answer, [etc.] . 1823 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto XI xli. 123 Pray ask of your next neighbour,..If he found not this spawn of tax-born riches, Like lap-dogs, the least civil sons of b——s. 1884 Graphic 15 Nov. 518/2 These were, of course, very touchy subjects to ask of courtiers. 1953 R. Chandler Long Good-bye xlvi. 285 It asked questions—the kind a newspaper asks of public officials when they are caught with jam on their faces. 2003 Observer 1 June i. 31/6 Why not ask this of the 0.3 per cent of the population who clutch and giggle at each other so delightedly when we show the boat race. †(b) intransitive. To enquire of a person of a matter. Obsolete. ΚΠ c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. xxi. l. 127 Ayþer axed of oþer of þis grete wonder. a1500 (a1450) Generides (Trin. Cambr.) l. 309 He axkid of Medeyn Of his ffader. †7. a. transitive. To enquire into, examine, investigate (an object of enquiry). Also intransitive with object understood. Obsolete.In Old English also with genitive. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > investigate, examine [verb (transitive)] underseekc897 speerc900 lookeOE askOE seeOE teem witnessc1200 seeka1300 fand13.. inquirec1300 undergoc1315 visit1338 pursuea1382 searcha1382 examinec1384 assay1387 ensearchc1400 vesteyea1425 to have in waitc1440 perpend1447 to bring witnessc1475 vey1512 investigate?1520 recounta1530 to call into (also in) question1534 finger1546 rip1549 sight1556 vestigatea1561 to look into ——1561 require1563 descry?1567 sound1579 question1590 resolve1593 surview1601 undersearch1609 sift1611 disquire1621 indagate1623 inspect1623 pierce1640 shrive1647 in-looka1649 probe1649 incern1656 quaeritate1657 inquisite1674 reconnoitre1740 explore1774 to bring to book1786 look-see1867 scrutate1882 to shake down1915 sleuth1939 screen1942 the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > investigate, inspect [verb (intransitive)] inquirec1330 aska1382 ensearch1382 questiona1500 investigate?1520 vestigatea1561 to look into ——1561 perpend1568 mouse1575 rake1603 undergo1605 fathom1607 ravel1618 examine1628 inquisition1644 to cast abouta1676 inspect1703 sound1793 disquisitea1823 look-see1862 to cast about one1867 OE Order of World 17 Forþon scyle ascian, se þe on elne leofað, deophydig mon, dygelra gesceafta. OE King Ælfred tr. Psalms (Paris) (2001) x. 5 His bræwas (þæt ys his rihta dom) ahsað manna bearn. Se ylca Drihten ahsað rihtwise and unrihtwise. c1350 Psalter (BL Add. 17376) in K. D. Bülbring Earliest Compl. Eng. Prose Psalter (1891) x. 5 Hys eȝen loken to þe pouer in gost; his eȝeliddes asken [L. interrogant] þe childer of me[n]. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. xi. 7 Beforn that thou aske, ne blame thou any man. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Psalms x. 5 The eȝelidis of hym asken [1611 King James trie] the sones of men. The Lord asketh the riȝtwis man, and the vnpitous. a1500 (c1340) R. Rolle Psalter (Univ. Oxf. 64) (1884) x. 5 (MED) His eghe lidys..askis, that is proues, sonnes of men. 1557 R. Edgeworth Serm. very Fruitfull xv f. ccxlii Aske the eyes of the carnal and fleshly man, & they will say they be fowle deathes, & ill deathes. But examine & aske the eyes of our faithe & they wyll iudge them and cal them fayre deathes. b. intransitive. With on. To enquire of (a person) in court, cross-examine. Obsolete. rare. ΚΠ 1612 Araignm. Iohn Selman 14 Sir Francis Bacon..proceeded to judgment and asking on the prisoner, thus..hee spake. †8. transitive. To find out or learn, esp. by enquiry; to hear tell. Also with object and complement. Obsolete.In quot. OE² with reflexive dative. In quot. c1175 intransitive with umbe. [Quot. a1225 may instead show a reflex of the Old English prefixed verb geāscian: see etymology section.] ΚΠ OE tr. Felix St. Guthlac (Vesp.) (1909) xii. 147 Hi þa sona, þa hi þær þone halgan wer acsodon, þohton, þæt hi woldon þær þone man gebringan. OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Corpus Cambr.) (1900) i. Introd. 8 Þa wisan, þe ic me acsode [OE Otho geacsode, OE Hatton geaxode] æt sægene arwurþra wera, untwygendlice ic þe þa secge mid bysene þære halgan ealdorlicnysse. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 755 Þa acsode [eOE Parker geacsode, other MSS geahsode] he þone cining lyt wyrede on wifcyððan on Merantune. c1175 ( Ælfric Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 19 Ða axode þe underkyng embe þæs Hælendes fær, þæt he from Iudea londe com to Galileam. a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 35 He heo wat ðurh þet..he heo hafð i-escad oðer hafð ifunden on boke. 9. intransitive. Without construction. To make an enquiry, to pose a question. ΚΠ lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) (2009) I. xxxv. 330 Nis nan swa swiðe bedæled ryhtwisnesse þæt he nan ryht andwyrde nyte gif mon acsað. 1644 J. Milton Areopagitica 1 Which though I stay not to confesse ere any aske. 1685 Factious Citizen v. 73 Mad. Wo. You are not ma[r]ried, are you?—Sne. Why do you ask? 1704 J. Harris Lexicon Technicum I. at Potential Mood Rogare potest, a Man may ask. 1801 M. Culley Let. 20 Nov. in M. Culley & G. Culley Farming Lett. (2006) 205 Ask and give us your opinion which are best. 1841 C. Dickens Barnaby Rudge xvii. 27 Do not stop to ask. I will not answer. 1878 in G. P. Lathrop Masque of Poets 101 The guest Half paused to ask in idle quest. 1920 R. A. Freeman Savant's Vendetta i. 3 I'm only asking from curiosity. 1996 M. K. Blakely Red, White, & oh so Blue 46 Those ‘moments of being’ that prompted the desire to explain, to Ask and Tell. 10. To turn (a question) over in one's mind; to consider with a view to reaching a conclusion. a. transitive (reflexive). With indirect or, less commonly, direct question as second object. [In some uses perhaps influenced by French se demander to ask oneself, to wonder.] ΚΠ a1450 (a1401) Chastising of God's Children (Bodl.) (1957) 155 Ȝe shullen þenke þanne or aske ȝoursilf, of whom haue ȝe þis wil and þis mercyful herte? 1549 J. Proctor Fal of Late Arrian sig. M.ii^v S. Austen byddeth you to aske your selfe, how your selfe but one man can haue in your selfe .ii. dyuers and sundry natures inconfusely existynge. 1557 W. Peryn Spirituall Exercyses sig. K.vii^v Aske thy selfe, yf thou were sure that thou shouldest neuer come in heauen [etc.]. 1565 A. Nowell Reproufe f. 49^v As if one would saie aske my self whether I bee a theefe, or no. 1605 A. Warren Poore Mans Passions H 2 I dare not call thee Asse, but aske thy selfe, What eares thou hast. 1650 Exercitation Answered 7 It might well have become the Exercitator..to have askt himself before he began this work, Who made him a Judge or a Rule-maker over the Commons in Parliament? 1663 J. Spencer Disc. Prodigies (1665) 401 Persons..that use not to believe without asking themselves why. a1716 R. South Serm. Several Occasions (1744) XI. 149 Let him impartially ask himself..what evidences he has of his..interest in the second covenant. 1767 C. Macklin Let. 25 Aug. in R. B. Peake Mem. Colman Family (1841) II. 268 Let me advise you to ask yourself if such a measure would be wise in you as a manager. 1796 F. Burney Camilla II. 360 Tell me, and ask yourself strictly, would you change with Indiana? 1817 S. T. Coleridge Biographia Literaria I. ix. 136 I began to ask myself; is a system of philosophy..possible? 1865 F. Marryat Love's Conflict I. xix. 328 She herself never stopped..to ask herself why or wherefore she felt thus. 1902 H. James Wings of Dove I. xi. 247 ‘Is it the way she looks to him?’ she asked herself. 1960 A. West Trend is Up vii. 298 He had never thought of asking himself what she was, inside of the hard shell of her disguise as the party girl who would go the limit for fun. 1995 Face Jan. 22 First you wake up, hungover. Then you ask yourself why you partook of whatever intoxicant it was that did this to you. b. transitive (reflexive). With the word question (or a noun indicating the content of the question) as object, or a pronoun (as this) with a question as referent, or an indefinite pronoun (as something). ΚΠ 1548 N. Lesse tr. F. Lambert Minde & Iudgem. f. xxvii Let euery man aske him selfe this question in that uicious affection wherto he is most inclyned. 1689 R. Gould Poems 207 Asks himself Questions which he ne'r can solve. 1739 D. Hume Treat. Human Nature I. iv. 414 For shou'd we ask ourselves one obvious question, viz. if [etc.]. 1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice III. ii. 50 Elizabeth was pleased, though, when she asked herself the reason, she had very little to say in reply. View more context for this quotation 1862 Times 11 Apr. 12/2 Let him soberly ask himself the question whether such a re-cemented Union can ever last. 1898 Argosy July 727 The conundrum he asked himself seemed to bother him. 1932 K. A. Potter Let. 21 Oct. (1990) ii. 84 Why did he? I ask myself this, and can answer only in part. 1991 Newsweek 11 Nov. 74/1 What do women want? Network programmers have been asking themselves that ever since they discovered that sponsors regard female viewers as their prime targets. 2013 T. Chambers Mother's Words of Wisdom p. xxiii I want you to ask yourself something. Ask yourself how [etc.]. c. transitive (reflexive). With the matter in question introduced by about. ΚΠ 1667 W. Walker Preciousness Christ 29 Let me put a few Queries into your mouths to ask your selves about this businesse, when you are at your best leisures. 1884 H. H. Almond Diffic. Health Reformers (LSE Sel. Pamphlets) 152 If any one will get into the mental habit of asking himself about all matters public or private,..he will [etc.]. 1933 D. L. Sayers Murder must Advertise iv. 69 Do you ever ask yourself about Body-Odour? 1979 P. Foot in T. Honderich & M. Burnyeat Philos. as it Is 15 Philosophers..must ask themselves about the status of what we might call ‘elective principles’ used in forming moral judgements. 2014 M. Kallet Think Smarter ii. ix. 60 Anticipate that they are asking themselves about what you are like. II. With a thing desired as the goal. See also branch V. 11. a. transitive. To say that one wants, request that one be given (something); to ask for (cf. sense 13). Also in extended use: to expect or require.In quot. OE with the thing wanted in the genitive.Except in early use, the thing requested is normally abstract, ask for (see sense 11b) being more usual when the thing requested is concrete. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] yearnOE bid971 seek971 askOE beseechc1175 banc1275 yerec1275 cravec1300 desirec1330 impetrec1374 praya1382 nurnc1400 pleadc1400 require1400 fraynec1430 proke1440 requisitea1475 wishc1515 supply1546 request1549 implore?c1550 to speak for ——1560 entreat1565 impetratec1565 obtest?1577 solicit1595 invoke1617 mendicate1618 petition1621 imprecate1636 conjurea1704 speer1724 canvass1768 kick1792 I will thank you to do so-and-so1813 quest1897 to hit a person up for1917 OE Ælfric Old Test. Summary: Kings (Julius) in W. W. Skeat Ælfric's Lives of Saints (1881) I. 398 Hwæt la, nis se ælmihtiga God on Israhela ðeode, and ge farað to hæðengilde eowre hæle to axienne? ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 54 Good is þet ȝe aske red & bidden him þet he teache ou to ȝeines fondunges. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1668 Aske it wið skil and ðu salt hauen. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 114 Iesu crist ous tekþ zuo to oxi uoryeuenesse. c1390 in F. J. Furnivall Minor Poems Vernon MS (1901) ii. 506 Let him not his offryng asch. a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) v. l. 594 I naxe in guerdon but a bone. c1475 (?c1425) Avowing of King Arthur (1984) l. 86 Thenne þe kyng asshet a chekkere. a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xxi. 267 That is it that I ast. ?1504 W. Atkinson tr. Thomas à Kempis Ful Treat. Imytacyon Cryste (Pynson) iii. lix. sig. Pi^v Grace seketh nat any temporal thynge: nor it asketh none other thing but god allon for rewarde: nor it asketh no more of temporall thinges. 1509 S. Hawes Conuercyon Swerers (de Worde) sig. A.v Come nowe to me and axe forgyuenes. a1547 J. Redford Wit & Sci. (1951) 9 I axe no more. 1595 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 ii. vi. 69 Clifford, aske mercie. 1644 J. Milton Areopagitica 37 Asking licence to doe so worthy a deed. 1688 Song in J. Barker Poet. Recreations ii. 147 A Pensive Shepherd ask'd advice, And their Opinions crav'd, How he might hope to be so wise, To get a place beyond the Skies. 1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 6. ⁋2 The beggar disabled himself in his Right Leg, and asks Alms all Day. 1733 J. Swift Let. 8 Jan. in Wks. (1801) XIII. 21 He asks nothing; and thinks, like a philosopher, that he wants nothing. 1789 T. Jefferson Let. 11 Mar. in Writings (1855) II. 581 My letters asking leave of absence were not then arrived. 1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxvii. 277 Ask a blessin', Mr. Stiggins. 1859 Ld. Tennyson Vivien in Idylls of King 109 Ask your boon, for boon I owe you. 1899 K. Chopin Awakening xxv. 195 Arobin asked permission to enter for a second to light his cigarette. 1917 E. R. Burroughs Princess of Mars xxii. 262 I do not need ask your forgiveness now. 1962 G. Brantl Catholicism v. 112 In Christ..man renders to God infinite homage, obtains grace, asks assistance and propitiates for sin. 1998 K. Lette Altar Ego (1999) xxi. 195 I knew it was asking a lot. b. To ask for (something) as by right; to call for, demand.Essentially a contextual use of sense 11a. †(a) transitive. gen. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > authority > command > command or bidding > command [verb (transitive)] > demand bid971 ofgoOE askOE cravec1025 to call after ——?a1300 requirea1382 callc1430 protest1459 to call for ——1479 demand1489 speer1493 command1576 to put (also place, call, etc.) in (or into) requisition1831 requisition1874 OE Homily (Corpus Cambr. 162) in H. L. C. Tristram Vier Altenglische Predigten aus der Heterodoxen Trad. (Ph.D. diss., Freiburg) (1970) 164 Mid eall swa micclum wuldre he eow eft to cymð, on ðam micclan domesdæge, to ðam þæt he wile secan and acsian þa befæstan gestreonu. a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 105 Iusticia..acseð riht of alle ure misdades and dom. c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 3849 (MED) He oxed his armes hastiliche, And men es him brouȝt sikerliche. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) Prol. l. 960 Thei axen alle jugement Ayein the man. c1440 Sir Degrevant (Thornton) (1949) l. 409 He askes [a1500 Cambr. axit] justyng of were, And prayes the of answere. a1450 Generides (Pierpont Morgan) (1865) l. 4795 His hors he ashed..his wey he nam. 1509 A. Barclay Brant's Shyp of Folys (Pynson) f. lix^v Nought..to asshe agaynst right. 1542 T. Elyot Bibliotheca Nomina exigere, to aske dettes or sue dettours. 1544 J. Bale Brefe Chron. Syr J. Oldcastell in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) I. 258 God will axe no more of a Christen beleuer..but only to obey the preceptes of that moost blessed lawe. 1574 J. Baret Aluearie A 517 To aske againe that is ones owne, or in a maner due to him. Reposco. 1619 J. Taylor Kicksey Winsey sig. A6 As often as I meete them, I doe looke that they should pay mee: and although I am shamefaste in not asking my due, yet I would not haue them shamelesse in detaining it from me. 1679 Usury Stated 220 Men can now adays, with as great confidence deny him that asks a Debt, as they do him that asks an Almes. 1700 Eng. Acquisitions Guinea & E.-India 129 For asking their Pay, the Treasurer of the Army made them this churlish Answer, There is scarce Money enough to pay the Roman and Grecian Soldiers. 1757 H. Laurens Let. 3 Mar. in Papers (1970) II. 482 We thought it necessary for our own Security to ask of him a bottom Bill or a Transfer of part of his freight. (b) transitive. In to ask (an) account (also (a) reckoning), to ask accounts. Now literary. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > demand calla1300 yeiec1320 to ask account?c1450 to call for ——1479 demand1484 inquirea1513 expostulate1548 advocatea1575 to stand upon ——1577 postulate1605 to stand on ——1606 bespeak1677 to put (also place, call, etc.) in (or into) requisition1831 requisition1874 ?c1450 tr. Bk. Knight of La Tour Landry (1906) 59 Of the whiche God will axse hem acompte [Fr. Dieux leur demandera compte]. 1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. ccclxxxiii. 645 They wolde aske accomptes of the Chancellour of Englande [Fr. ils vouloient compter au chancelier d'Angleterre] to knowe where all the good was become that he had leuyed through the realme. 1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Gloucester xxi. 5 To axe a reckening of the Realmes reuenue. 1600 C. Edmondes Obseruations Fiue Bks. Caesars Comm. v. 182 If any mischance happen vnto them, they shall aske account thereof at thy hands. 1695 P. Hume Annot. Paradise Lost vii. 214 Impertinent and daring Men, who..would..ask an account of that Almighty Will, which created all Things how and when he pleas'd. 1721 J. Strype Eccl. Memorials II. i. 328 The French King should ask reckoning of Albright of that he had branskated. 1762 tr. J. B. Bossuet Hist. France I. vii. 253 As he was asking accounts of the king of France, he saw a body of cavalry appearing. 1819 W. Scott Ivanhoe (1820) xxiv. 214 He..has no right to ask reckoning at the hands of good men of noble blood. 1858 W. M. Gwin in Calif. Hist. Soc. Q. (1940) 19 271 As a senator of that State, I am here to ask an account of the blood of my constituents. 1870 tr. V. Hugo Destroyer of Second Republic iv. i. 177 The French people..took into their heads to demand accounts from the monarchy, to ask accounts from Providence, and to settle for these eight centuries of misery. 1911 Smart Set Nov. 36/1 She kept wondering miserably what she should do if Paul asked a reckoning at her hands. 1981 tr. R. Gómez de la Serna in T. Running Borges' Ultraist Movement & Its Poets i. 3 A voice that must unite without asking accounts of all the youth like that bonfire that the dispersed Arabs light to prepare their battles! 2012 D. Herd All Just 69 Love shan't ask Reckoning only. c. transitive. spec. To request (a specified amount) as a price for selling something. Also with for the thing being sold. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > monetary value > price > [verb (transitive)] > state price ask1857 ?a1300 Iacob & Iosep (Bodl.) (1916) l. 165 (MED) More þen he axede for Iosep he ȝaf. a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 780 (MED) He ne axede nouȝt a fferþing more. 1566 W. Painter Palace of Pleasure I. xxv. f. 49^v Tarquinius demaunded the price. The woman asked a wonderfull some. 1583 C. Hollyband Campo di Fior 61 What aske you for your hyer?.. I will contente myself with a small hier. 1636 W. Davenant Witts iv. sig. H3^v You aske a hundred pounds; Tis all I've left! 1698 G. Granville Heroick Love iv. i. 51 Life is not worth the Price you ask. 1725 D. Defoe Compl. Eng. Tradesman I. xvii. 276 Rather than abate a farthing of the price they had ask'd. 1752 S. Johnson Rambler No. 191. ⁋9 Ladies..asked me the price of my best head. 1825 W. Scott in J. G. Lockhart Mem. Life Sir W. Scott (1839) VII. 367 Nicol is certainly going to sell Faldonside, the Nabal asks £40,000—at least £5000 too much. 1855 Ld. Tennyson Brook in Maud & Other Poems 108 How he sent the bailiff to the farm To learn the price, and what the price he ask'd. 1857 H. G. Bohn Handbk. Prov. 323 Ask but enough, and you may lower the price as you list. 1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo v. 73 I telegraphed, asking the price. 1989 G. Daly Pre-Raphaelites in Love ii. 57 When Gabriel asked twenty-five pounds a drawing, Ruskin voluntarily raised the price to thirty pounds. 2010 Cornish Guardian (Nexis) 7 July 40 People actually have the affrontery [sic] to ask £50 for an ordinary ginger cat! 12. To say to a person that one wants something from him or her. a. transitive. With double object (the person and the thing desired, esp. something abstract, as an opinion, pardon, permission).In early use also with the thing desired in the genitive. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > a person a thing askOE beseechc1275 desire1523 OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Deut. (Claud.) xviii. 11 Warna ðe ðæt ðu ne gyme drycræfta.., ne ne axa nane wiccean rædes. OE Directions for Use of Confessor (Laud 482) (Dict. Old Eng. transcript) Ðonne þu þæs mannes andetnesse gehyre & he þe his dæda bote axige. ?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1140 Þerefter wæx suythe micel uuerre betuyx þe king & Randolf eorl of Cæstre, noht forþi ðat he ne iaf him al ðat he cuthe axen him..oc æfre þe mare he iaf heom, þe wærse hi wæron him. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 2640 Þeos eorles..axeden heom ræddes. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 4037 Hii escheþ [c1425 Harl. esseþ] vs truage. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 369 He nolde noman esse [a1400 Trin. Cambr. esche, c1425 Harl. asche, ?a1425 Digby aske] leue. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 3868 Iacob askid him his lemman. a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich Hist. Holy Grail xxxvi. l. 493 Forto Axen hem Consaille. 1511 H. Watson tr. Noble Hist. King Ponthus (new ed.) sig. C.ii^v So wente he & kneled tofore the kynge & asked hym leue And the kynge graunted hym whan he sawe that the other wolde not speke. 1538 J. Bale God's Promises in I. Reed Dodsley's Sel. Coll. Old Plays (1780) I. 11 Good Lorde I axe the mercy. ?a1556 Grey Friars Chron. anno 1554 in R. Howlett Monumenta Franciscana (1882) II. 252 He..askyd them mercy and for-yefnes for his evylle in-sampulle. 1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet iv. vii. 45 I shal first asking you pardon, there-unto recount the occasion of my..returne. View more context for this quotation 1622 T. Walkley tr. J. de Luna Pursuit Hist. Lazarillo xvi. 184 I was so loue-nettled, that if they had asked me the Phœnix..I would haue giuen it them. 1692 tr. P. Boyer Hist. Vaudois xx. 154 To ask him leave of going out of his Dominions, as a particular favour that they implored of him. 1703 J. Evelyn Let. 12 Sept. in R. Boyle by Himself & Friends (1994) vi. 96 Asking you pardon againe, for these Impertinent Abberrations. 1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones VI. xvi. vii. 58 I ask Mr. Blifil pardon. View more context for this quotation 1791 E. Burke Corr. (1844) III. 274 I asked him his opinion directly, and without management. 1808 ‘P. Plymley’ Eighth, Ninth & Last Let. ix. 22 I ask him his opinion of a jobless faith. 1824 Morning Post (London) 27 Dec. 3 Pope Alexander the Third..made Frederick, the Emperor at Venice, fall down before him to the ground, and ask him forgiveness. 1924 Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica) 15 Dec. 40/4 The next morning she came and asked him pardon. 1973 R. I. Levy Tahitians (1975) 285 Oro, asked his thoughts about anger, describes the unpleasantness of the experience of being angry. 2009 I. Thomson Dead Yard i. 13 Roy..asked his wife permission to pour himself another glass of rum. b. transitive. With the thing desired as object and of, from, †at, †to the person. Also in extended use: to expect or require of, from (cf. sense 11b). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > a thing of a person askOE beseech?a1400 supplicate1625 OE Rule St. Benet (Corpus Cambr.) vi. 22 Gif hwæt to ahsienne [L. requirenda] sy fram þam ealdre, þæt sy geahsod mid ealre eaðmodnesse. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Parker) anno 1070 Þa angan Thomas his spæce..hu se arcebiscop axode hyrsumnesse mid aþswerunge at him, & he hit forsoc. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3656 Þu [sc. Cæsar] ært icumen of Rome þine word beoð swiðe store. Of ure londe þu axest ȝeld. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 110 Huet may þe zone betere acsy to his uader þanne bread? ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. 496 Rollo asked cristendom at þe Kyng Alfred. c1450 (?a1405) J. Lydgate Complaint Black Knight (Fairf.) l. 479 in Minor Poems (1934) ii. 402 That to my foo..Mot axe grace, mercie, and pite. a1475 J. Fortescue Governance of Eng. (Laud) (1885) 152 Such as axen off þe kyng offices. a1500 (a1400) Ipomedon (Chetham) (1889) l. 68 (MED) The kyng of Calabrye thedur paste And at her brother he here axte [etc.]. 1533 T. More Apologye xlviii. f. 266^v Some good man, agaynst whome a subtle wily shrew begynneth a false accyon, and asketh from hym all the lande he hath. 1583 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie cviii. 661 A charmer..that asketh counsell at spirites. 1584 A. Barlowe in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) 732 When they goe to warres, they carry with them their Idoll, of whom they aske counsell. 1647 King Charles I Let. 4 July in Antiquary (1880) 1 97/1 To aske leave of y^e two houses to make a journey. 1672 H. More Brief Reply 328 And scraping many Legs, asked a largess of the Knight. 1734 tr. C. Rollin Anc. Hist. II. 84 Whenever the young lords had any favour to ask of the king, Cyrus was their sollicitor. 1751 J. Wesley Let. Dec. (1931) III. 312 Sometimes..they have called out to the minister who carried the basin, reproaching him for asking alms of them. 1791 W. Cowper tr. Homer Odyssey in Iliad & Odyssey II. xv. 19 From brave Menelaus ask Dismission hence. 1830 J. W. Warter tr. Aristophanes Acharnians 43 The request of the bride, which she earnestly asks at me! 1849 N. Hawthorne Main Street in E. P. Peabody Æsthetic Papers 162 I ask pardon of the audience. 1871 Jrnl. Senate Virginia 17 Does the agent ever ask from the board any reduction or repricing of goods? 1936 Stage June 84/2 I don't ask help of anybody. 1961 R. Heppenstall Fourfold Trad. ii. ii. 145 This is asking a lot of the general reader. 1984 A. Maupin Babycakes xxxi. 151 After asking directions from a uniformed Latin American maid, he made his way through the..living room. 1999 C. Arnold Shells 18 He wiped the sword clean,..and asked pardon..of the blade he'd just profaned. c. transitive. With the person as object and for, †of the thing desired.Now the usual construction in this sense. ΚΠ c1410 (c1390) G. Chaucer Parson's Tale (Harl. 7334) (1885) §992 A man þat..cometh for to axe him of mercy [c1405 Ellesmere axe mercy]. 1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende f. xxiv^v/1 For this first they ought to axe echeone other. a1535 J. Fisher Wayes to Perfect Relig. in Eng. Wks. (1876) i. 373 Askyng of him mercy for your abhominable offences. 1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes i. f. 129 O thou manne saied he, I aske thee for a dynyng, not for a dyyng. a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) ii. i. 60 He ask'd me for a hundred markes in gold. View more context for this quotation 1671 J. Dryden Evening's Love iii. 44 I'll..ask him for the money which he promis'd me. 1734 A. Pope Epist. to Arbuthnot 50 You know his Grace, I want a Patron; ask him for a Place. 1787 F. Grose Provinc. Gloss. (at cited word) The reapers in Essex and Suffolk ask all passengers for a largess. 1810 W. Scott Lady of Lake v. 199 Ask we this savage hill we tread, For fattened steer or household bread? 1883 Harper's Mag. Dec. 136/1 You must..ask Barnes for her keys. 1896 Westm. Gaz. 23 Apr. 7/2 He lived in a snow-storm of letters asking him for money. 1931 T. R. G. Lyell Slang, Phrase & Idiom Colloq. Eng. 428 Why waste your time asking him for a subscription? 1966 R. S. Heinlein Moon is Harsh Mistress (1967) 188 Why not ask a topnotch computer for all possible ejection times for such a catapult as I have described? 1976 M. Gordon & G. Gordon Ordeal (1977) 142 Sniffling, he asked Penny for a tissue. 2004 N.Y. Times Mag. 7 Nov. 17/3 Prayers asking God for something—good health, better weather, victory in war or in football—are called petitionary prayers. d. transitive. With the person asked as object and no further construction.In religious language frequently with allusion to or quotation from Luke 11:13 ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?’In later use frequently with an action as the thing requested (cf. uses at branch III.). ΚΠ c1430 N. Love Mirror Blessed Life (Brasenose e.9) (1908) 167 Oure lorde..was euere redy to helpe and hele alle thoo that asked hym trewely. 1528 W. Tyndale Obed. Christen Man f. cxx^v How moch rather shall youre hevenly father geve a good sprite vnto them that aske him? 1564 T. Becon Workes Pref. sig. Cii Christ sayth: Geue to euery one y^t axeth thee. 1676 N. Vincent Heaven or Hell upon Earth 240 The Spirit of God, who is a Comforter, is promised unto all that ask him. a1691 R. Baxter Reliquæ Baxterianæ (1696) i. 89 Three pence or a Groat to every poor Body that askt me, was no great matter in a year. 1847 Protestant Mag. Jan. 51 Our great duty is to seek the gift of the Holy Spirit which God hath promised to all them that ask him. 1904 M. Weston Pamela's Choice x. 112 If ever there is anything I can do for you, you will only have to ask me. 1985 S. Hood Storm from Paradise (1988) 33 And if you want anything..just ask me. 2000 R. Pevear & L. Volokhonsky tr. A. Chekhov Sel. Stories 192 ‘How about giving this Jew some boots...’ ‘Yes, Your Honour! I'll report it to the superintendent.’ ‘Please do. Ask him on my behalf.’ 13. intransitive. With †after, for. To say that one wants, request that one be given. Cf. sense 4c. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)] > for something bid971 aska1200 seekc1366 cravec1386 entreat1427 inquire?a1513 beg1576 incall1591 urgea1616 woo1615 clamour1651 to call on ——1721 tout1731 spell1790 a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 81 Iuelmennish..acseð after fortocne of heuene. c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. vi. l. 298 Al hunger eet in hast and axed after more. 1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) ii. 61 They..asked after water for to wasse their handes. ?1515 Hyckescorner (de Worde) sig. B.iv^v He asked for a mouthfull of quycke brymstone. 1598 R. Grenewey tr. Tacitus Annales v. ii. 119 Vitellius.., asking for a penknife, lightly prickt a vaine; and ended his life. 1611 Bible (King James) Micah vii. 3 The iudge asketh for a reward. View more context for this quotation 1611 B. Rich Honestie of Age (1615) 20 He that some forty or fifty yeares sithens, should haue asked after a Pickadilly, I wonder who could haue vnderstood him. 1693 A. Gavin Short Hist. Monastical Orders xiv. 129 The Anthonian Fryars..when they go a begging, if one does refuse what they ask for, they threaten immediately to make the Sacred Fire to fall upon him. 1735 Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 728/2 Let us now go in a door, And see what to ask for more. 1796 R. Southey Joan of Arc ii. 246 Could hear a famish'd woman ask for food, And feel no pity. 1814 J. West Alicia de Lacy IV. 265 He yielded to ask for mercy. 1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. ii. viii. 240 I'll cut back and ask for leave. 1894 Lancet 3 Nov. 1046 The council of the Medical Officers of Schools' Association have issued a circular to the members of the association, asking for their opinions upon the characteristics of measles and German measles. 1932 Blue Valley Farmer (Oklahoma City) 17 Mar. 6/5 The country must content itself with a stone when it asked for bread. 1960 L. Durrell Let. in Spirit of Place (1969) 153 The boys of King's School..asked for an article for the school mag. 2001 L. Ulrich Age of Homespun vii. 252 Her parents and a few other families..pledged their allegiance to the English cause, and asked for protection. 14. intransitive. Without construction. To make a request. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)] yearnOE ask1340 fand1340 frayne1377 seek1390 allegea1393 to make requestc1400 require?c1425 sue1440 thigc1480 solicit1509 petition1611 petitionate1625 postulate1754 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 207 (MED) Huo þet acseþ, he nimþ. c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Luke xi. 9 Axe ȝe, and it schal be ȝouun to ȝou. a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 5240 Man that worthy is of name To asken often hath gret shame. ?a1518 H. Watson Ualentyne & Orson (1555) ci. sig. Xx.viii^v All shall be done, do but aske and you shall be serued. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Matt. vi. 7 Axe & it shalbe giuen you. 1535 W. Stewart tr. H. Boethius Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) II. 402 Ask and haue. 1549 T. Hoby tr. M. Bucer Gratulation sig. B.vii^v All that aske, do receaue. 1611 Bible (King James) Matt. vi. 7 Aske [ Wyclif, axe ȝe] and it shalbe giuen you. View more context for this quotation 1645 G. Gipps Serm. 12 Who will scrape to a keeper for a piece of Venison, who may have free accesse to the master of the game to aske and have? 1683 E. Wetenhall Pract. Plain Disc. v. 150 He giveth Wisdom liberally to all who ask, and upbraideth none. 1735 J. Swift Let. 30 Dec. in Corr. (2007) IV. 247 I desired you would bestow a Preferment of 150^ll p^r ann: on a certain Clergyman. Your answer was, that I asked modestly. 1748 S. Richardson Clarissa VI. lxxv. 277 As if the petitioned-to had not as good a right to reject, as the petitioner to ask. 1834 M. Edgeworth Helen II. xiv. 275 Entreaties, distressing and irritating to the feelings of those who ask and of those who must refuse. 1899 K. Chopin Awakening v. 26 I never had to ask. You were always there under my feet, like a troublesome cat. 1920 Amer. Woman Aug. 13/3 (advt.) A 10-Day Tube of Pepsodent is sent to anyone who asks. 1961 J. Stroud Touch & Go iv. 45 Tell her not to hesitate to ask. 2003 S.-L. Parks Getting Mother's Body 216 I wanna get with her, but I don't know how to ask. †15. transitive. Of a thing: to seek; to direct itself or extend towards. Obsolete. rare. [After classical Latin petere to aim at, seek, lay claim to; also to ask, beg (see repeat v.).] ΘΚΠ the world > space > direction > direct [verb (transitive)] > cause to have specific direction > incline towards ask?c1400 salutec1440 ?c1400 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (BL Add. 10340) (1868) iv. pr. vi. l. 3926 In so moche is þe þing more free and lovs fro destyne as it axeþ [L. petit] and holdeþ hym ner to þilke Centre of þinges. ?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1865) I. 63 The Redde see..is departede in to ij. armes, of whom the arme Persicalle..dothe aske [L. petit] the northe. †16. transitive. Probably: to pursue, sue, prosecute (a debtor). Cf. asking n. 5, 6, asker n.¹ 2. Obsolete. [Compare classical Latin repetere to say again, to demand in return (see repeat v.) in its post-classical Latin sense ‘to oppress’ (Vulgate: Isaiah 58:3), translating Hebrew nāgaś to press, drive, oppress.] ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > suffer (adversity or affliction) [verb (transitive)] > afflict > oppress or afflict heavyc897 narroweOE overlayOE overseamOE twingea1300 to weigh downa1340 grieve1340 besit1377 oppressc1384 foila1400 thringa1400 empressc1400 enpressc1400 aska1425 press?a1425 peisea1450 straita1464 constraina1500 overhale1531 to grate on or upon1532 wrack1562 surcharge1592 to lie heavy uponc1595 to weigh back, on one side, to the earth1595 to sit on ——1607 to sit upon ——1607 gall1614 bear1645 weight1647 obsess1648 aggrieve1670 swinge1681 lean1736 gravitate1754 weigh1794 a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Isa. lviii. 3 Lo! ȝoure wille is foundun in the dai of ȝoure fastyng, and ȝe axen alle ȝoure dettouris [a1382 E.V. alle ȝoure detouris ȝee pleten; L. omnes debitores vestros repetitis]. III. transitive. With an action as the goal. See also branch V. 17. a. transitive. With that and modal verb or subjunctive. To request that something be done; to express a desire that something happen or be the case.In Old English coupled with bid. ΚΠ OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 262 Þa axode Sulpicius, and hine eadmodlice bæd þæt he him geopenian sceolde hwa him wiðspræce. OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Corpus Cambr.) (1900) i. v. 46 Þa se ceorl, þe þider com hine to geseonne, acsode & geornlice bæd, þæt him scolde beon getæht, hwilc he wære. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1963) 3 Kings xv. 19 I aske þat þou come & make at nouȝt þe bond of pes þat þou hast with baasa. ?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) 74 (MED) After þis þer come a knyght of þe Templers and..asked þat he myght hafe euermare his purs full of gold. a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Gloucester) (1971) 770 I aske þat sche may lye be me one nyȝte. 1542 T. Becon Newe Pathway vnto Praier xxix. sig. M.v^v We aske that the name of God maye be sanctified. 1618 R. Broughton Man. Praiers xvi. 107 We aske that the holy Ghost coming, may with his holy, good, and glorious presence, sanctify and make this bread..that it may be vnto al receiuing of them, to remission of sinnes. 1664 A. Pitcarne Spiritual Sacrifice i. vii. 188 While we pray for temporal mercies, we only ask that the world may be governed by blind fortune, and that God would neither do good nor evil. 1718 in Rec. Boston Selectmen (1885) 41 Henry Bridgham haveing formerly a Grant to keep an Ale House, asks that his Lycence may be in full to Sell Strong Drink as an Inholder. 1789 H. Mustafa tr. Ghulam Husain Khan Sëir Mutaqherin II. 384 [Lord Clive] visited the Vezir..and asked that the Company should be invested with the Divanship of the three provinces. 1822 G. Howard Lady Jane Grey, & Her Times vi. 293 He only asked that the point should be settled by parliament. 1837 Proc. & Deb. Convent. Pennsylvania III. 94 He asked that he might have the privilege to vote, in consequence of having done labor of this kind sufficient to pay his tax. 1898 Argosy Nov. 683 I..also asked that I be appointed her guardian. 1935 R. A. Knox Barchester Pilgrimage v. 199 If Miss Lufton had asked that her children might be brought up as wet-bobs..or that they should be sent to Cambridge [etc.]. 1971 Nature 30 Apr. 545/1 The..committee asks that associated countries should survey information services of national, regional or international scope . 2010 N. T. Skippings Killer & Prosecutor xi. 110 The judge asked that the Attorneys approach the Bench. b. transitive. With if or whether and modal verb; also with a person as second object. (a) To say politely that one would like a person to do something, to invite to do something; (b) to say (to a person) that one would like to do or have something, to request permission (of). ΚΠ c1560 J. Frampton in J. Strype Ann. Reformation (1709) xx. 233* They asked me, whether I would confer with their Religion... And I did confer with them in their Religion. 1683 J. Erskine Jrnl. 3 June (1893) 124 Houstoun asked if he might have his safety; which was granted. 1742 R. North & M. North Life F. North 174 He..shewing them the Proclamation, asked if they could find any Caption to be made upon it. 1742 H. Fielding Joseph Andrews I. ii. ii. 143 Adams asked him, if he could direct him to an Alehouse. The Fellow..bid him follow his Nose. 1824 W. Scott Redgauntlet III. vii. 198 He asked..‘Whether he could have a plack-pie’? 1833 H. Martineau Loom & Lugger VI. ii. iii. 60 She asked Rebecca if she could come to tea at their house. 1847 R. Anderson Let. 9 Aug. in Artillery Officer in Mexican War (1911) 281 Major W. asked if I could take the mess articles in ‘G’ Co. wagon. a1866 Elizabeth, Colored Minister of Gospel (1889) 2 I asked the overseer if I might go, but being positively denied, I concluded to go without his knowledge. 1897 A. Daly tr. F. Von Schönthan Seven-twenty-eight iii. 73 I'd like to ask if I could go to the Private Coachman's ball to-night, ma'am. 1920 ‘O. Douglas’ Penny Plain v. 62 I was going to ask if I might see over the house. 1925 M. Moore Let. 29 Dec. in Sel. Lett. (1997) 221 Alfred Kreymborg called..to ask if we could use at once, a pigeon poem of his called ‘Pantomine’. 1946 C. Bush Case Second Chance xi. 155 I blew the gaff by asking the lady if I might speak to Mr Hanley. 1978 L. Isenberg in D. Abse My Med. School 207 One night we were asked if someone would ‘special’ a lady who might require surgery during the night. 2013 Daily Tel. 28 Mar. 16/3 I had to go to my mother and father and ask them if they could help me out. 18. With object and infinitive (also with to and infinitive understood from the context, and intransitive without to do). a. To say or otherwise communicate to (a person) that one wants or requires him or her to do something. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > a person to do something crave?c1225 seek1362 requirec1380 aska1400 require1415 to call upon ——a1450 will?1457 requestc1485 bespeaka1616 beg1675 a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 3141 Nou es he askid..Til god to make of sacrifise. ?1531 R. Whitford tr. Thomas à Kempis Folowynge of Cryste iv. ix. sig. Ci Al theym..that haue desyred and asked me to pray or to do sacryfyce for theym. c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 3^v (heading) How Kyng Pelleus Exit Iason to get þe ffles of golde. 1606 T. Daniell Interrogatory 14 Dec. in D. B. Quinn New Amer. World (1979) V. 174 [He] asked them to tripp theire anker. 1668 J. Denham Poems 136 Ask him to lend To this the last request that I shall send, A gentle Ear. 1727 P. Shaw & E. Chambers tr. H. Boerhaave New Method Chem. ii. 193 Ask him to shew you gold in powder. 1769 H. Brooke Fool of Quality IV. xvii. 65 Looking fondly up to his Face, she lisped and said, Me voud kiss Oo, if oo voud ask me. 1786 T. Jefferson Papers 14 Nov. (1954) X. 531 They..have asked me to procure a state of the advantages of that place. 1832 B. Disraeli Let. 10 Apr. (1982) I. 261 He asked me to go with him to Newmarket to the Craven but I refused. 1872 W. Black Strange Adventures Phaeton xxv. 350 He does not ask me to pay his bills. 1882 Harper's New Monthly Mag. Dec. 108/1 She will tell you anything if you ask her, but she would never tell you if you didn't ask her. 1885 Manch. Examiner 5 June 5/4 Mr. Bartley's letter asking the Conservative leaders to define a policy appears to have struck home. 1898 Physical Culture 1 112/2 If Sandow's system is to be applied to rowing at all, this is one of the results we shall immediately ask it to produce. 1905 P. Gibbon Vrouw Grobelaar's Leading Cases 139 Meisje, will you not come out? I ask you to. 1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo ix. 133 We cabled to a boat at sea asking it to stop. 1984 F. P. Thomas How to write Story of your Life vi. 34 Your ‘remembery’ is always there, ready to help if you ask it to. 2002 N.Y. Times Mag. 28 Apr. 60/1 If there are once again higher expectations on colleges and universities to look after the welfare of students, shouldn't we be asking parents to help us? b. To convey to (an animal) by word or action that one wants it to do something; to require or expect (an animal) to do something. ΚΠ 1872 A. J. Cupples Tappy's Chicks 268 He insisted upon me asking the dog to come out. 1881 Minutes Trans. Pennsylvania Agric. Soc. 70 in Agric. of Pennsylvania To pen five sheep is a task too arduous to ask a puppy to perform. 1920 Jrnl. Royal United Service Inst. Aug. 461 Under these conditions no horseman would ask his horse to face a series of blind stake and bound fences. 1946 M. C. Self Horseman's Encycl. 132 When a horse is asked to change from one lead to the other at a gallop. 2010 Whole Dog Jrnl. Jan. 16/2 Asking your dog to endure the constant presence of his peers..can quickly become stressful. 19. With infinitive as object (also with to and infinitive understood from the context). To say that one wants to do or have something, or wants something to be done for one; to request permission to. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > to do or have a thing ask?c1400 require1479 request1565 beg1576 ?c1400 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (BL Add. 10340) (1868) iii. pr. i. l. 1713 I..axe gretely to heeren tho remedyes. 1461–2 Rolls of Parl.: Edward IV (Electronic ed.) Parl. Nov. 1461 §16. m. 10 The seid tenauntes..asked to be discharged..of all manere custumes of certeyn hennes and corne. 1477 Earl Rivers tr. Dictes or Sayengis Philosophhres (Caxton) (1877) lf. 1 I had delyte & axed to rede somme good historye. ?1575 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Familiar Epist. (new ed.) 149 The ioy I conceiued to see that most cruel beast stand so myld, come sicke, goe so lame, and to aske to be cured. a1652 C. Goad Refreshing Drops (1653) 166 The main amisness in Prayer, is..when we ask to gratifie our Lusts. 1792 W. Short Let. 15 Sept. in T. Jefferson Papers (1990) XXIV. 376 He asked to have the addition of plenipo. 1833 I. Taylor Fanaticism vii. 221 The country..seemed to ask to be seized upon by men worthy to enjoy it. 1866 B. Taylor Story of Kennett xxxi. 375 You won't believe me, Mary,..and I can't ask to—but it's the truth! 1887 E. S. Phelps Old Maids, & Burglars in Paradise (new ed.) vi. 94 He waked up and see the critter sleepin' on the chair beside of him. Says the dog asked to go; so he let him go. 1919 Salaries Firemen District of Columbia: Hearings before District of Columbia Comm. (U.S. House of Representatives, 66th Congr., 1st Sess.) 38 I was put on the engine, not because I asked to, but because [etc.]. 1926 Nation 9 Jan. 517/2 She may have been afraid of asking to go out. 1980 M. Robinson Housekeeping x. 196 We asked to stop at an ice-cream stand by the road in the woods. 2013 New Yorker 16 Sept. 25/1 When you need a ride, you can use their apps to find a driver near you and ask to be picked up. 20. With infinitive ‘to come’ or ‘to go’ understood. a. Usually with to (preposition). To invite (a person) to join in an event or activity, or to visit one's place of residence or work. ΚΠ 1752 J. Leaf Worldly Compliances 22 Be sure you are ready for the company I have asked to dinner. a1797 H. Walpole Jrnl. Reign George III (1859) II. 445 The Queen gave a ball.., to which one hundred persons of the Court..were invited; but the Duke of Cumberland was not asked. 1846 C. G. F. Gore Sketches Eng. Char. II. 45 I..was asked to Grangehurst for the battue. 1907 J. Galsworthy Country House i. i. 2 Foxleigh; he's no good... But can't he shoot just! That's why they ask him. 1921 E. Ferber Girls iv. 66 They..were asked to the big, inclusive crushes pretty regularly once a year. 1940 J. T. Flynn Country Squire in White House v. 79 The trade associations were asked to Washington. 1991 J. Galloway Scenes from Life No. 27 in Blood (1992) 144 The Scottish side weren't asked to the funeral. 2014 A. C. Arthur Shifter's Claim xv. 155 She was sure none of those other females had ever been asked to dinner like this by him. b. With adverbs, as over, round, etc. To invite (a person) to join one somewhere, as at one's place of residence or work, especially when nearby. Earliest in to ask down at Phrasal verbs. See also to ask along, to ask back, to ask out at Phrasal verbs. ΚΠ 1784 Hist. Julia Benson II. xxxvi. 71 This stranger she asks down ‘to Wiltshire!’ I should have had a very bad opinion of her. 1836 F. W. Thomas East & West I. xxiii. 231 I will ask him round here, this afternoon. 1869 Contemp. Rev. 11 65 The Duke..had asked him over. 1883 Harper's Mag. July 241/1 Do please ask him up. 1936 W. Hatfield Austral. through Windscreen 64 If he's a house man ask him in. If he isn't, tell him he can go down to the kitchen for tea. 1942 E. Afr. Ann. 1941–2 128/2 Friends who own a mixed farm ask us over. 1996 H. Fielding Bridget Jones's Diary (1997) 217 When Gav rang and asked me round to his house for dinner tonight I accepted graciously. 21. transitive. Computing. a. To instruct (a computer, program, etc.) to perform a particular operation or provide specified information. ΚΠ 1959 Process Control & Automation 6 96/1 We carefully set up criteria of similarity and ask the computer to make the comparisons for us. 1974 New Scientist 23 May 477/1 He has the option of asking the computer to display all 20 contacts so that he can decide if one..should be upgraded. 1988 PC Mag. May 125/2 You can also ask the program to search for specific files. 2005 C. Conmy et al. Excel for Teachers xiii. 123 You could ask Excel to give you an average score. b. Of a computer, program, etc.: to request (input necessary for a particular operation to be performed); to prompt (a user, a component of a computer system or network) to provide some specified input. ΚΠ 1960 Railway Signaling & Communications 1 Mar. 16/2 The computer asks these questions. 1976 Computerworld 19 July 25/4 The terminal ‘asks’ whether the operator wants to search the computer or the film files for individual persons. 1991 What Personal Computer Dec. 49/2 The BBS asks me for my log-in and password. 2009 J. Ross Network Know-how xiii. 169 Windows will ask for a login and password and then make the connection. †IV. transitive. With a person or thing sought as the goal. 22. To enquire after the whereabouts of (a person or thing); to seek out, look for. Also: to request to see (a person); to call for, summon. Obsolete.With use in sense ‘to seek out, look for’ cf. later use in to ask for trouble at Phrases 13. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > appeal to or invoke halsec825 askOE witnec1200 halsenc1290 calla1325 incalla1340 to speak to ——1362 interpel1382 inclepec1384 turnc1384 becallc1400 ethec1400 peala1425 movec1450 provoke1477 adjure1483 invoke1490 conjurea1500 sue1521 invocatea1530 obtest1548 obtestate1553 to throw oneself on (or upon)1592 obsecrate1598 charm1599 to cry on ——1609 behight1615 imprecate1643 impray1855 OE Genesis A (1931) 2455 Comon Sodomware..corðrum miclum cuman acsian. OE Beowulf (2008) 1206 He for wlenco wean ahsode. OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Cambr. Univ. Libr.) i. vii. 34 Ða het he hraðe his þegnas hine secan & acsian [L. inquirere]. OE Homily: Invention of Cross (Auct. F.4.32) in M.-C. Bodden Old Eng. Finding of True Cross 95 Ða ongan sancta Elena swiðe giornlice axian þa næglas þe ures Hælendes handa & his fet þurh adrifene wæron. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 8468 He lette axien [c1300 Otho axi] anan men þat cuðen hæuwen stan. a1425 (a1382) Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) (1850) Deut. xxv. 1 If there were a cause bitwex eny men, and han askid iugis, whom thei biholden to be ryȝtwise, to hym the palme of riȝtwisnes thei shulen ȝyue. a1475 ( in R. H. Robbins Hist. Poems 14th & 15th Cent. (1959) 187 Suych a payn prikked hym, he asked a confessour. V. Of a thing: to need, require, demand, call for. 23. Of a thing: to need, require, demand, call for (by circumstances or its condition). a. transitive. With simple object or infinitive, or object and infinitive. (a) gen. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > necessity > condition of being necessary > need or want > need [verb (transitive)] > require or demand askOE willa1225 requirec1425 crave1576 desire1577 exact1592 solicit1592 wish1600 postulate1605 expect1615 to look after ——a1616 seek1656 demand1748 OE Andreas (1932) 1134 Sceolde sweordes ecg, scerp ond scurheard, of sceaðan folme, fyrmælum fag, feorh acsigan. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 86 & to wenden us fromward þe licunge. þet flesches lust askeð. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 54 Þo þet libbeþ be þan þet hare zennes okseþ. a1425 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Galba) l. 28768 (MED) Almus askes to be wroght Of rightwis aght..els vnmedeful es þe dede And makes to þe doer no mede. c1450 in F. J. Furnivall Hymns to Virgin & Christ (1867) 61 Quod conscience, þat axiþ coost. 1574 J. Studley tr. J. Bale Pageant of Popes f. 7^v All this asketh more time & leasure to be brought to passe, then Peter could hetherto obtayne in Rome. 1598 R. Barret Theorike & Pract. Mod. Warres i. 7 These three matters handled would aske a great volume. 1606 B. Jonson Hymenaei sig. E^v What his Merit made to the Soule of our Invention, would aske to be exprest in Tunes, no lesse ravishing then his. a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) ii. i. 114 Signior Baptista, my businesse asketh haste. View more context for this quotation 1623 G. Markham Countrey Contentments, or Eng. Huswife (new ed.) iii. 104 The Veale will aske a double quantitie of suet. 1627 R. Sanderson Ten Serm. 173 It will aske some time, yea and cunning too, to find it out. 1666 T. Watson Godly Mans Picture iv. 211 'Tis a sad thing that a man should bee so bewitched by lust, that if it ask to part with, not only half the Kingdome, but the whole Kingdome of heaven, hee must part with it, to gratifie that lust. 1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd iv. 549 To stand upright Will ask thee skill. View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 110 Goats of equal Profit are..and ask an equal Care. View more context for this quotation 1700 S. Wesley Epist. Poetry 28 Not many Poets were for Statesmen made, It asks more Brains than stocks the Rhiming Trade. 1780 W. Cowper Table Talk 559 To give a Milton birth ask'd ages more. 1820 T. Mitchell tr. Aristophanes Acharnians in tr. Aristophanes Comedies I. 85 It asks not his nicer discerning To observe how like wind an Athenian's mind shifts and alters at every turning. 1868 Trans. National Assoc. Promotion Social Sci. 1867 558 It was a sentimental reason... It asked us to believe that a working man had the power to recognise the better part of human nature. 1919 V. Woolf Night & Day xxi. 289 She flinched from the thought. It asked too much of one already stripped bare. 1988 P. Brook Shifting Point (1989) 64 This text..asks physically developed actors not to go backwards but to push forward. 2008 New Yorker 23 June 80/1 Double unreliability..asks much more of the reader. †(b) spec. To invite, provoke; to deserve in return. Chiefly in proverb one good turn asks another and variants. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > causation > [verb (transitive)] > elicit or call forth movea1398 drawa1400 provoke?a1425 askc1450 to draw out1525 to stir up1526 allure?1532 suscitate1532 to call out1539 to draw fortha1569 draw1581 attract1593 raise1598 force1602 fetch1622 milka1628 invite1650 summon1679 elicit1822 to work up?1833 educe1840 c1450 in Bull. John Rylands Libr. (1930) 14 92 O good turne asket another. ?c1500 Conversion of St. Paul (Digby) l. 91 Such crabyysh wordes do aske a blow. 1550 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue (new ed.) i. xi. sig. Ciii^v One good tourne askth an other. 1614 W. Camden Remaines (rev. ed.) 310 One ill word asketh another. One good turne asketh another. 1660 W. Houlbrook Black-smith & No Jesuite 48 But thou know'st honest Smith, that one good turn asketh another? 1670 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Prov. 20 One shrewd turn asks another. b. †(a) intransitive. Without construction. Obsolete. ΚΠ J. Gaytryge Lay Folks' Catech. (York Min.) (1901) l. 341 For to minister sacrementz..Aftir the state that thai haue, and thair degree askes [?a1450 Lamb. askyþ]. a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1869) II. 165 Whan tyme and place axeþ. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Melibeus (Hengwrt) (2003) §473 He shal punysshe hem as the lawe axeth & requereth. c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 109 He þat tas not his tyme when þe tyde askes. (b) intransitive. With for. Cf. sense 13. ΚΠ 1792 Kent & Sussex Assoc. Baptist Churches 13 This agreement, or covenant of works..made with Adam..asks for nothing but purity, love to and delight in God. 1829 I. Taylor Nat. Hist. Enthusiasm ix. 231 An irresistible prurience asking for the marvellous. 1857 G. E. Ellis Half Cent. Unitarian Controv. 380 If we take any one of the contested problems in doctrinal or speculative theology, we find it to be involved with terms each of which asks for a re-definition. 1880 W. Cyples Inq. Proc. Human Exper. vi. 133 Limit of time asked for a sensation. 1948 R. J. Forbes Short Hist. Art of Distillation viii. 285 The new machinery asked for a different type of labour. 2004 Bridge Mag. Mar. 10/2 O'Neill's Three Spade bid asked for a spade stop for 3NT. Phrases P1. colloquial. I ask you: used to emphasize a question, or as an exclamation of surprise or disapproval intended to elicit agreement. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > disbelief, incredulity > expressions of disbelief [interjection] to go toc1275 in good timea1470 Walker1811 to get off1818 this beats my grandmother1819 to go on1835 your granny!1837 to get away1847 I ask you1855 great guns!1875 sure1907 oh yeah1927 Aunt Fanny1928 go 'long1974 to sod off1976 the mind > emotion > hatred > dislike > disgust > expressing extreme disgust or violent resentment [phrase] > expressing incredulous disgust I ask you1855 1530 Thorpe's Examinacion sig. Iiii^v What worship saide the lorde..The lorde said. This is a redy man to put to me a question of a thing, that they wote neuer where it is. And yet I aske you, what worship. 1677 Duke of Newcastle & T. Shadwell Triumphant Widow v. ii. 80 I ask you, Did you never naughtily together?] 1855 C. Dickens Little Dorrit (1857) i. ii. 12 ‘Now, I ask you,’ said Mr. Meagles... ‘I ask you simply as between man and man.. did you ever hear of such damned nonsense as putting Pet in quarantine?’ 1902 J. Conrad Youth 44 Now, I ask you, can anybody stand this kind of thing? 1932 Punch 18 May 536 I ask you—not a taxi in sight! 1959 R. Galton & A. Simpson Hancock's Half-hour (1987) 149 Tony: Are you taking the mickey? Sidney: Well I ask you, what a load of old rubbish you talk sometimes. 2004 A. Levy Small Island xxvi. 270 I mean, we've got enough Poles living here to start their country anew. Now these Cockneys. I ask you. P2. to ask instruments: see instrument n. 2a. P3. to ask (a person's) pardon: see pardon n.¹ 7a. P4. to ask in borrowing: see borrowing n.¹ b. P5. to ask counsel of one's pillow: see pillow n. Phrases 1. P6. all a person asks (for) and variants: the only thing, or the most, that a person demands or requires, usually with the implication that the requirement is modest. ΚΠ 1605 A. Munday tr. G. Affinati Dumbe Divine Speaker Ep. Ded. sig. A2 And if the world giue me good words, tis all I aske of it. 1616 B. Jonson Epicœne iv. iv, in Wks. I. 576 Driue 'hem out of your companie, 'tis all I aske. View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 292 'Tis all I ask this cruel Race to shun. 1731 G. Lillo London Merchant v. ii. 65 The last of Curses to other miserable Maids, is all I ask for my Relief, and that's deny'd me. 1781 R. B. Sheridan Critic ii. ii. 42 His liberty is all he asks. 1823 Times 20 Jan. 1/5 All they asked was for a re-modification of its terms. 1855 E. Brooks Speech in Senate Feb. 7th, 8th, & 13th 1855 10/2 All that Protestants have ever asked for is the reading of the Bible in our schools without note or comment. 1902 J. Masefield Salt-water Ballads 59 All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by. 1989 G. Vanderhaeghe Homesick xi. 158 That's all I'm asking—that you try. 2000 Z. Smith White Teeth (2001) i. 4 All he asked for was a bit of silence. P7. to ask too much, too much to ask, and variants: (to make) an excessive or unreasonable demand; in later use frequently ironic. ΚΠ 1654 F. G. tr. ‘G. de Scudéry’ Artamenes II. v. ii. 119 If it were not too much to ask you at once, you would do me a pleasure in telling me what is become of poor Feraulas? 1673 B. Makin Ess. to revive Antient Educ. Gentlewomen Ep. Ded. 4 I do not..plead for Female Preeminence. To ask too much is the way to be denied all. 1722 J. Ozell tr. F. de S. de La Mothe-Fénelon Fables & Dialogues of Dead vii. 60 You ask too much; you ought to dread the Fatality of this Petition. 1784 R. Bage Barham Downs II. 297 Grant me a portion of your correspondence..whilst I am absent from my country. I know this is too much to ask, but do not—you will not refuse me. 1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice III. i. 28 Will you allow me, or do I ask too much, to introduce my sister to your acquaintance during your stay at Lambton? View more context for this quotation 1843 W. H. Prescott Hist. Conquest Mexico I. iii. iv. 463 It is too much to ask of any man..to be in advance of the refinement of his age. 1907 Lady's Realm Apr. 734/2 She would willingly have done much to help the one and the other. But they asked too much. 1982 Chicago Sun-Times 25 Nov. 7/2 Is it asking too much for these sickos to stop bothering decent women? 2002 BusinessWeek 1 July 90/3 Counting on consumers to propel the recovery at a time when wage gains are ebbing may be too much to ask. P8. ask (me) no questions and I'll tell you no lies: see question n. Phrases 1d. P9. colloquial. don't ask me: used to indicate that one does not know the answer to a question and that one is surprised, irritated, etc., to be questioned. ΚΠ 1785 T. Holcroft tr. P. A. C. de Beaumarchais Follies of Day ii. 38 Page. The doors are all fast, how can I fly? Susan. Don't ask me! Fly! 1844 C. J. Lever Tom Burke I. xix. 130 Don't ask me. If your own heart doesn't teach ye, how can I? 1895 G. Moore Celibates 138 ‘When will you marry me?’ ‘Don't ask me. I cannot say when.’ 1952 D. Thomas Let. 10 Sept. (1987) 838 The first & last lines of the poem rhyme; the second and the last but one; & so on & so on. Why I acrosticked myself like this, don't ask me. 1991 D. R. Koontz Cold Fire iii. i. 371 ‘Why are we here?’.. ‘Don't ask me. You're the one who wanted to come.’ 2003 C. Birch Turn again Home x. 128 ‘Oh, don't ask me,’ she'd say, ‘I haven't the foggiest what you're on about.’ P10. colloquial. if you ask me: in my opinion. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > expressed belief, opinion > personal opinion > [adverb] > in my opinion to (my) seemingc1386 to my supposinga1393 in my mindc1400 conceitc1405 in one's own conceit1483 in my fantasy1561 to my mind1600 in my seeming1604 in (also to) my conception1650 to my way of thinking1733 if you ask me1873 1849 L. Schmitz Gram. Lat. Lang. li. 256 Roges me, nihil fortasse respondebo, if you ask me (that is, supposing you were asking me), I shall perhaps not give you an answer.] 1873 Good Words Dec. 763/1 I don't know what your idea of acting honourably and straightforwardly is; but, by Jove, if you ask me, I say 'tis the way in which Stephen Prescott has treated you. 1910 J. Galsworthy Justice 11 If you ask me, I don't think he was quite compos when he did it. 1930 J. B. Priestley Angel Pavement ii. 65 Girls are a bit silly, if you ask me. 1969 G. Friel Grace & Miss Partridge v. 77 She's no keeping well, she's sick. There's damn all wrong with her if you ask me. 2012 Independent 3 May 31/1 If you ask me, it's a rare day when your prayers are answered. P11. coarse slang. ask my arse (also ass) and variants: used as an evasive response to a question or statement or as an exclamation of dismissal or contempt. ΚΠ 1788 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue (ed. 2) Ask or Ax my A--e., a common reply to any question; still deemed wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling bargains. 1804 J. Collins Scripscrapologia 179 When Tom wants to know, Who makes Breeches for Joe, Says Joe, in Reply, ‘Ask my Podex.’ 1837 Little Icky-wickey Songster 22 Bill thought as how the joke he'd pass, So points to his moke, and cried, ‘Ax my ass!’ 1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xv. [Circe] 523 Ask my ballocks that I haven't got. 1949 S. Murphy Stone Mad xvi. 99 ‘Ask me ass,’ said Danny. ‘D'ye think I've nothing else to do but talk about stone?’ 2001 J. Murphy Kings of Kilburn High Road i, in Two Plays 15 Jap. Fuckin' Pope's been to Ireland more times than you! Maurteen. Ask me arse. P12. to ask no odds: see odds n. 5d. P13. colloquial. to ask for trouble: to do something that will almost certainly cause problems or provoke an adverse reaction; cf. to ask for it at Phrases 16. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > carelessness > incautiousness > be incautious [verb (intransitive)] > be rash or reckless > so as to court disaster to play (also mess) with firea1325 to ride for a fall1852 to ask for trouble1871 1871 A. C. Geekie Christian Missions vii. 72 His wish was granted, but he soon found that he had asked for trouble to himself and his church. 1925 J. G. Bruce in E. F. Norton et al. Fight for Everest: 1924 343 It is asking for trouble to give out any money except the daily ration allowance. 1960 H. Pinter Room 1 I don't know how they live down there. It's asking for trouble. 2003 Independent 29 Dec. i. 13/4 If you put people behind barbed wire..and bulldoze their homes, you are asking for trouble. P14. Horse Racing. to ask (a horse) the question: (of a rider) to communicate to (a horse) that a special effort is required. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > racing or race > horse racing > ride horse in race [verb (transitive)] > actions of rider bore1677 jostle1723 pinch1740 pull1781 rope1854 screw1855 corner1861 ride1863 ready1887 poach1891 nurse1893 to ask (a horse) the question1894 stiffen1900 shoo1908 rate1946 stop1954 niggle1963 1894 H. Custance Riding Recoll. vi. 88 Until the last ten strides, when I really asked ‘King Lud’ the question. 1963 Listener 25 July 128/2 Do as little galloping as possible till the last moment. That is when the jockey ‘asks his horse the question’, as they say. P15. to ask leave: see leave n.¹ 1. P16. colloquial. to ask for it: = to ask for trouble at Phrases 13. ΚΠ 1901 Marvel 15 No. 385. 2/1 You have asked for it!... Now take it! 1909 E. P. Oppenheim Jeanne of Marshes ii. xiv. 274 ‘Whatever happens to him,’ Forrest said, ‘he's asking for it.’ 1916 ‘B. Cable’ Action Front 165 Silly fools... What do they want to hoist that huge Red Cross flag up there for, where any airman can see it? Fairly asking for it, I call it. 1946 ‘M. Innes’ From London Far i. v. 42 ‘The damned scoundrels!’.. The girl was philosophical. ‘I asked for it, all right.’ 1991 S. Cisneros Woman Hollering Creek 138 Late or early, sooner or later, you're just asking for it. Know what I mean? P17. colloquial. ask me another and variants: used in response to a question to which one does not know the answer. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > want of knowledge, ignorance > be ignorant [phrase] > profess ignorance to wit ne'era1400 this (also that, it) is news to me (him, her, etc.)1777 quien sabe1833 search me1885 ask me another1910 1910 A. Bennett Clayhanger iii. ii. 344 ‘Why's he wearing his best clothes?’ Clara demanded... ‘Ask me another!’ said Edwin. 1912 A. Brazil New Girl at St. Chad's ix. 139 ‘Then who was it?’ Honor shook her head. ‘Ask me a harder!’ she said briefly. 1928 E. Wallace Gunner ii. 24 I hope you are wearing warm undies. Why are undies indelicate and sable coats ladylike? Ask me. It's one of the mysteries. 1933 I. Compton-Burnett More Women xiii. 202 ‘Devoted?’ said Josephine, raising her brows. ‘Ask me another. I am not in a position to give you an account of their feelings.’ 2007 W. Kress From Holocaust to Highlands iii. 58 Was it due to the events of my first love that had such a traumatic ending? Ask me another. P18. to ask (for) someone's hand (in marriage): see hand n. 5b. P19. to ask for the moon: see moon n.¹ Phrases 3. P20. ask a silly question (and you get a silly answer): see silly adj., n., and adv. Phrases 4. P21. to ask what the score is: see score n. 14d. P22. colloquial. don't (even) ask: used in reply to an explicit or anticipated question to say that any answer or explanation would be too complicated or absurd, or unwelcome. ΚΠ 1977 Washington Post 3 Jan. b1 Will 1977 be an exciting year? Don't ask. 1981 Washington Post 3 May g18/1 What if the issuers had to pay in gold? Don't even ask, Ellison shrugs. 1995 Independent on Sunday 23 Apr. (Review Suppl.) 54/4 I had sweet potato, pink peppercorn and allspice bullas—don't ask, something West Indian. 2001 L. Rennison Knocked out by Nunga-nungas 37 Jimmy is a haggis with a scarf on. Don't even ask. P23. don't ask, don't tell: see do v. Phrases 6d. Phrasal verbs With adverbs in specialized senses. to ask along transitive. To invite to join one in going somewhere. ΚΠ 1828 London & Paris Observer 19 Oct. 670/2 I deny ever having said that I should, in case of such an occurrence, ask you along with me. 1908 F. J. Lewis Climbing up to Nature x. 277 I remember the first place he took you on your honeymoon... Me and my sister was asked along. 1993 Vanity Fair Dec. 124/1 To prevent a disastrous doggy vacation, the masseur de chien was asked along for the trip. to ask around intransitive. To enquire widely about a thing. ΚΠ 1754 Coll. Hymns Children of God in All Ages (Moravian Church) i. 351/1 Say, where's thy hope, thou Sinner, say? Look ev'ry where, and ask around. 1843 Bentley's Misc. 13 492/2 She'd..ask around, Until she found Who took it out. 1895 Amer. Bookmaker Oct. p. xviii/1 (advt.) Ask around, and you'll find out that the very leaders in the printing art value the Wetter Numbering Machine as a necessity to the profit pulling power of their establishments. 1960 H. Lee To kill Mockingbird vii. 68 Atticus said someone must have lost it, and had we asked around? 2003 S. Mawer Fall (2004) xxii. 366 I asked around, in the local pub, the corner shop, the ARP post, that kind of thing. to ask away †1. transitive. To do away with by asking. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > memory > effacement, obliteration > cancellation, revocation > annul, cancel, revoke [verb (transitive)] fordoOE allayOE withdrawc1290 withclepe13.. again-callc1390 to call againc1390 repealc1390 revokec1400 unmakec1400 rive1415 annulc1425 abroge1427 uncommandc1430 discharge?a1439 retreatc1443 retract1501 cancela1513 abrogate?1520 dissolve1526 extinct1531 rescind1531 abrenounce1537 infringe1543 recall1565 unwrite1577 extinguish1590 exauctorate1593 relinquish1594 unact1594 to strike off1597 undecide1601 unpass1606 to take off1609 to draw back1610 reclaim1615 to put back1616 abrenunciate1618 unrip1622 supersedeate1641 to set off1642 unassure1643 unorder1648 to ask away1649 disdetermine1651 unbespeak1661 undecree1667 reassumea1675 off-break1702 circumduct1726 raise1837 resiliate1838 denounce1841 disorder1852 pull1937 1649 J. Milton Εικονοκλαστης xv. 146 His prayer is so ambitious of Prerogative, that it dares ask away the Prerogative of Christ himself. 2. intransitive. colloquial. To proceed to ask a question or questions; esp. used as an expression of permission or encouragement to do so. Cf. to fire away 1b at fire v.¹ Phrasal verbs. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > undertaking > beginning action or activity > begin action or activity [verb (intransitive)] > and proceed with rapidity to fire away1756 to ask away1844 rev1939 1844 Asiatic Jrnl. & Monthly Misc. 3 249 The latter..begged to be allowed to ask a question. ‘Ask away,’ said the missionary. 1920 A. Christie Mysterious Affair at Styles v. 105 ‘I want to ask you something.’ ‘Ask away.’ 2013 J. Fussner Leviathan Awaits xiv. 101 ‘I also have something to ask you.’ Then without hesitation, she started asking away. to ask back 1. transitive. To invite to accompany one to one's place of residence. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > social event > hospitality > invitation > invite [verb (transitive)] bidc1200 prayc1300 desirec1325 invite1553 convite1568 indite1599 encourage1728 book1840 to ask back1844 1844 C. G. F. Gore Popular Member I. iv. 87 Perceval spelt so hard this morning at the Asylum to be asked back to dine and sleep at Stainhurst. 1963 Guardian 25 July 5/3 Miss Barrett..met Ward when he spoke to her in Oxford Street. He asked her back to his flat. She went, and had intercourse with him. 2009 S. Guillebaud More than Conquerors xi. 162 After one such tutorial in the first term, a similarly bedraggled young man asked me back for a ‘coffee’! 2. transitive. To invite to come back again. ΚΠ 1857 Chambers's Jrnl. 10 Jan. 30/1 I shall..get upon the most intimate terms, and so be ‘asked back’. 1891 A. M. Harrison Story Life Mackay of Uganda xi. 145 Even were we to leave we should soon be asked back. 1950 K. Ferrier Let. 15 June (2003) iv. 121 The crits are marvellous..and I've been asked back for a recital. 2010 R. Gurney Digging for Austral. ix. xxxii. 286 Alex asked me back for a second more formal interview. 3. transitive. To invite in return for an earlier invitation that was accepted. ΚΠ 1859 Getting On II. xxxix. 295 He lived as solitary a life as a hermit,..from fear of meeting a friend who might ask him to his rooms, and expect to be asked back in return.] 1862 A. Robins Present Position ‘Liberal’ Party ii. 28 A peer would entertain an emancipated pauper to a cutlet every day; and then the peer would be asked back by the emancipated pauper. 1910 J. Ayscough Mezzogiorno x. 55 Tripoli is at all events hospitable... Gillian, how can we ask anybody back—here? 1922 ‘R. Crompton’ More William (1924) xiv. 231 But if he asks you to his you must ask him back. 1996 S. Figiel Where we once Belonged (1998) 23 It's not half as much fun when they play alone and..they'll ask us back anyway. to ask down transitive. To invite to come and stay in the country, or away from a major centre. ΚΠ 1784 Hist. Julia Benson II. xxxvi. 71 This stranger she asks down ‘to Wiltshire!’ I should have had a very bad opinion of her. 1834 C. Dickens in Monthly Mag. Feb. 152 If I see him..tomorrow, perhaps I'll ask him down. 1948 M. Laski Tory Heaven x. 138 Lord Starveleigh asked him down to address the electors. 1978 A. L. Rowse Diaries (2003) 122 Q. knew Lord Alfred Douglas—who asked himself down to stay at Fowey. 1996 A. Stevens November Tree ix. 153 Rowena..always pleads pressure and busyness when Phyllida asks her down. to ask out transitive. To invite to an entertainment or on a date. ΚΠ 1845 G. Webster Disputed Inheritance I. vi. 125 I was asked out to a scrap dinner. 1864 H. C. Adams White Brunswickers x. 167 Billy moved heaven and earth to get asked out on the same days. 1888 R. Kipling In Pride of Youth in Plain Tales from Hills 183 Now and again he was asked out to dinner. 1934 H. G. Wells Exper. in Autobiogr. II. viii. 532 People..were beginning to ask us out. 1949 E. Atkinson & G. Atkinson Perfect Idiot i. 25 She stood me up at the last minute—the only time I asked her out. Gave me some flimsy excuse. And I made the date weeks ahead. 1979 M. Kolbenschlag Kiss Sleeping Beauty Good-bye 54 Every woman knows what it is to be ‘ditched’ of an evening by a female friend, when that significant ‘One’ phones and asks her out. 2006 New Yorker 16 Oct. 51/1 Roger..gets up the nerve to ask out his secret dream girl. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < n.¹OEn.²eOEv.eOE
随便看	diplozoon dipneedle dipnet dipnets dipnetted dipnetting dipneumonous dipneustal dipnoan dipnoans dipnoid dipnoous dipodic dipodies dipodous dipody dipolar dipolar bath dipolarization dipolarize dipolarized dipolarizing dipole dipole moment dipole moment)

askn.1

Compounds

askn.2

askv.

Phrases

Phrasal verbs

askn.¹

askn.²