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an interj. of wonder or inquiry. [Obs.] Chaucer.

The result of a judicial examination or inquiry, especially into some matter of fact; a verdict; as, the finding of a jury. Burrill. After his friends finding and his rent. Chaucer.

A learning or knowing by inquiry; the knowledge of facts and events, so obtained; hence, a formal statement of such information; a narrative; a description; a written record; as, the history of a patient's case; the history of a legislative bill.

Search; inquiry; investigation. [Obs.]

Inquiry; quest; search. [R.] Spenser. The laborious and vexatious inquest that the soul must make after science. South.

Inquiry. [Obs.] Latimer.

To ask about; to seek to know by asking; to make examination or inquiry respecting. Having thus at length inquired the truth concerning law and dispense. Milton. And all obey and few inquire his will. Byron.

Making inquiry; inquiring; questioning. [Obs.] Shenstone.

Given to inquiry; disposed to investigate causes; curious; as, an inquiring mind.

Admitting judicial inquiry. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale.

The act of inquiring; inquiry; search; examination; inspection; investigation. As I could learn through earnest inquisition. Latimer. Let not search and inquisition quail To bring again these foolish runaways. Shak.

Relating to inquiry or inquisition; inquisitorial; also, of or pertaining to, or characteristic of, the Inquisition. All the inquisitional rigor . . . executed upon books. Milton.

Pertaining to inquisition; making rigorous and unfriendly inquiry; searching; as, inquisitorial power. "Illiberal and inquisitorial abuse." F. Blackburne. He conferred on it a kind of inquisitorial and censorious power even over the laity, and directed it to inquire into all matters of conscience. Hume.…

Making strict inquiry; inquisitorial. [Obs.] Milton.

Unsearchable; incapable of being searched into and understood by inquiry or study; impossible or difficult to be explained or accounted for satisfactorily; obscure; incomprehensible; as, an inscrutable design or event. 'T is not in man To yield a reason for the will of Heaven Which is inscrutable. Beau. & Fl. Waiving a…

To begin; to commence; to set on foot; as, to institute an inquiry; to institute a suit. And haply institute A course of learning and ingenious studies. Shak.

The act of interrogating or questioning; examination by questions; inquiry.

A formal question or inquiry; esp. (Law), a question asked in writing. Macaulay.

To discover, as by study or inquiry; to find out; to devise; to contrive or produce for the first time; -- applied commonly to the discovery of some serviceable mode, instrument, or machine. Thus first Necessity invented stools. Cowper.

To follow up step by step by patient inquiry or observation; to trace or track mentally; to search into; to inquire and examine into with care and accuracy; to find out by careful inquisition; as, to investigate the causes of natural phenomena.