enquire

From Old French enquerre, from en- + querre (“to search, to look for”), from Latin quaerere, of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɛnˈkwaɪə/, /ɪn-/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɛnˈkwaɪɹ/, /ɪn-/, /ɪŋ-/
• Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: in‧qui‧re

enquire (third-person singular simple present enquires, present participle enquiring, simple past and past participle enquired)

1. British English form of inquire.

   He enquired about the availability of rental bicycles in the town.

   • 1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC:

     Having thus at length enquired the truth concerning Law and dispense.

   • 1814, Lord Byron, “Canto I”, in The Corsair, a Tale, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], for John Murray, […], →OCLC, stanza II, page 5, lines 79–82:

     Thus prompts his accents and his actions still, / And all obey and few enquire his will; / To such, brief answer and contemptuous eye / Convey reproof, nor further deign reply.

• See the usage notes in the entry "inquire".

• enquiry

• inquere