Asks

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɑːsks/

Definitions

1. Makes a request for information or an answer ; makes a request for something ; puts forward a question to someone
2. Seeks an answer or explanation ; seeks to obtain something by requesting it ; inquires by posing a question
3. Demands or requests information ; petitions for something ; asks a question to gain knowledge or clarity

Etymology: The word "asks" is simply the third-person singular present of "ask", so its story is the story of "ask". That verb comes from Old English "axian" (or "acsian"), and its ancestry runs back to a Germanic root shared with West Frisian "easkje", Dutch "eisen" (to demand, require) and German "heischen" (to ask, request, implore). The same Indo-European root gives Russian "iskat'" (to seek) and Sanskrit "icchati" (he wishes, seeks), a reminder that asking and seeking were once close neighbours in meaning. The Old English form survived for centuries, but the modern spelling with a "k" and the "ask" sound reflect a later shift. Forms like "axe" persisted in some English dialects, and the "x" pronunciation ("ax") is still heard in parts of the United States, which is a remnant of the older spelling rather than a separate word.

Synonyms: requests, inquires, questions, solicits, demands

Antonyms: answers, responds, replies, gives, provides