In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.
ENQUIRY
inquiry, enquiry
(noun) a systematic investigation of a matter of public interest
inquiry, enquiry, research
(noun) a search for knowledge; “their pottery deserves more research than it has received”
question, inquiry, enquiry, query, interrogation
(noun) an instance of questioning; “there was a question about my training”; “we made inquiries of all those who were present”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
enquiry (countable and uncountable, plural enquiries)
(British, Australian, NZ) A question.
Search for truth, information or knowledge.
Usage notes
According to Fowler's Modern English Usage (1926), inquiry should be used in relation to a formal inquest, and enquiry to the act of questioning. Many (though not all) British writers maintain this distinction; the Oxford English Dictionary, in its entry not updated since 1900, lists inquiry and enquiry as equal alternatives, in that order. Some British dictionaries, such as Chambers 21st Century Dictionary , present the two spellings as interchangeable variants in the general sense, but prefer inquiry for the "formal inquest" sense. In Australian English, inquiry represents a formal inquest (such as a government investigation) while enquiry is used in the act of questioning (eg: the customer enquired about the status of his loan application). Both spellings are current in Canadian English, where enquiry is often associated with scholarly or intellectual research. (See Pam Peters, The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, p. 282.)
American English usually uses inquiry.
Source: Wiktionary
En*quir"y, n.
Definition: See Inquiry.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
28 March 2025
HOST
(noun) a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
Coffee Trivia
