Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One who inquires or makes an inquisition, especially a questioner who is excessively rigorous or harsh.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who inquires or investigates; particularly, one whose official duty it is to inquire and examine: as, the inquisitors of the Holy Office or Inquisition.
  • noun An inquisitive or curious person.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun rare An inquisitive person; one fond of asking questions.
  • noun (Law) One whose official duty it is to examine and inquire, as coroners, sheriffs, etc.
  • noun (R.C.Ch.) A member of the Court of Inquisition.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A person who inquires, especially searchingly or ruthlessly.
  • noun An official of the ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an official of the ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition
  • noun a questioner who is excessively harsh

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English inquisitour, from Latin inquīsītor, from inquīsītus, past participle of inquīrere, to inquire into; see inquire.]

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Examples

  • But in the light of such deafening coolness, the inner inquisitor is easily drowned out.

    Kevin's Review: Iron Man - Raising The Bar, Big Time « FirstShowing.net 2008

  • if the word inquisitor had been invented he could have worn it like an old coat settling into the dark corners of its meaning with comfort.

    Archive 2007-01-01 Geraldine Moorkens Byrne 2007

  • if the word inquisitor had been invented he could have worn it like an old coat settling into the dark corners of its meaning with comfort.

    At Cluain Moccu Nois Geraldine Moorkens Byrne 2007

  • And then – if, that is, my inquisitor had not gathered up her children and fled my toxic presence – I would provide her with the following list:

    The World According To Mom | Her Bad Mother 2009

  • Maimon explained to the representative he was already a rabbi and then, assuming his inquisitor was a man of enlightenment like Mendelssohn, chattered on about some of his more radical interpretations of the Talmud.

    Emancipation Michael Goldfarb 2009

  • And then - if, that is, my inquisitor had not gathered up her children and fled my toxic presence - I would provide her with the following list:

    The World According To Mom 2009

  • And then - if, that is, my inquisitor had not gathered up her children and fled my toxic presence - I would provide her with the following list:

    Archive 2009-03-29 2009

  • My inquisitor was a tall man in an ulster, with a green felt hat on his small head.

    Mr. Standfast John Buchan 1907

  • The inquisitor was my old friend, comrade, and hero Steve Lafreniere, so it was a lot of fun.

    DC's 2010

  • And her inquisitor was the so-called 'Birther Bishop', Anabaptist minister Ron McCrae, who is deeply opposed to Obama, and - say critics - cynically set out to trap her.

    Home | Mail Online 2009

Comments

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  • Brother William was this once in "The Name Of The Rose."

    July 1, 2012