1. trans. To put as a question. ? Obs.
1657. Narr. late Parlt., in Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793), 409. The like may be queried concerning the swordsmen’s capacity to sit.
1661. Glanvill, Van. Dogm., 188. It’s queried whether there be any Science in the sense of the Dogmatists.
1726. Berkeley, Lett., 12 Oct., in Fraser, Life, iv. (1871), 136. I do … entreat you to answer all that I have queried on that head.
1755. B. Martin, Mag. Arts & Sc., 130. I … shall suspend what I have further to query ’till To-morrow.
b. With interrogative clause as obj.: To ask, inquire, put a question (whether, if, what, etc.).
1657. S. Purchas, Theat. Pol. Flying-Ins., 15. Some query whether a living creature can subsist without the head.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., V. xxii. (ed. 3), 328. We shall not proceed to querie, What truth there is in Palmistrie.
1681. E. Murphy, State Ireland, § 40. The Deponent … queried if Captain Butler was come thither.
1756. H. Walpole, Lett. to Mann, 17 Oct. (1846), III. 245. Should not one query whether he had not those proofs in his hands antecedent to the cabinet?
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xiii. ‘Shall we remove Mr. Butler?’ queried the assistant.
1866. Whittier, Marg. Smith’s Jrnl., Pr. Wks. 1889, I. 64. On my querying whether any did find treasures hereabout, my aunt laughed.
c. absol. To ask a question or questions.
1681. T. Flatman, Heraclitus Ridens, No. 4 (1713), I. 23. Nay, if you be for that Sport, e’en Query by your self.
1720. S. Parker, Bibliotheca Biblica, I. 394. He queried, and reason’d thus with himself.
1728. Pope, Dunc., II. 349. Each prompt to query, answer, and debate.
1814. Byron, Lara, I. i. note. A passenger queried as to the author.
2. To question, interrogate (a person). rare.
1654. Gayton, Pleas. Notes, 97. The Don … assaults the first pittifull Scout … whom he should have quæried in this manner.
1690. Child, Disc. Trade (1698), 47. So I have been assured by many antient men whom I have queried particularly as to this matter.
c. 1890. A. Murdoch, Yoshiwara Episode, in Fr. Austr. to Japan (1892), 49. He … began to query her about the financial part of the business.
3. To call (a thing) in question; to mark as doubtful.
1772. Ann. Reg., 54/2. The returning officer … had queried 76 [votes].
1839. D’Israeli, Curios. Lit. (1849), II. 224. Sir John … afterwards came to doubt it with a ‘sed de hoc quære’ query this!
b. To question, doubt, if, etc.
1815. W. H. Ireland, Scribbleomania, 140. I very much query if two, and sometimes three of Sonini’s Alpine pictures were not condensed into one by the author.
Hence Querying vbl. sb. and ppl. a.; Queryingly adv.; Queryist = QUERIST.
1669. W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 107. One able Physitian being asked…. The Querying person returned, That [etc.].
1706. W. Jones, Syn. Palmar. Matheseos, 140. The Querying Term in the 3d. Place.
1863. Reader, 19 Dec., 729. A queryist in the American Publishers’ Circular.
1865. E. Burritt, Walk to Land’s End, 286. A pair of baby eyes, peering upward with querying wonder.
1890. F. Sewall, in Harper’s Mag., July, 272/1. The queryings of philosophy.
1890. Jean Middlemass, Two False Moves, I. xv. 226. He looked at her queryingly.
