inquest

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) enquest

Etymology

From Middle English enquest, from Old French enqueste (Modern French enquête), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl]  inquirere, or from (deprecated template usage) [etyl]  inquesta < in + (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin quaesita.

Noun

inquest (plural inquests)

1. A formal investigation, often held before a jury, especially one into the cause of a death.
   • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 4, in The Dust of Conflict‎^[1]:

     The inquest on keeper Davidson was duly held, and at the commencement seemed likely to cause Tony Palliser less anxiety than he had expected.

2. The jury hearing such an inquiry, and the result of the inquiry.
3. (rare, obsolete) Enquiry; quest; search.
   • South

     the laborious and vexatious inquest that the soul must make after science

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Edmund Spenser to this entry?)

Synonyms

• inquisition

Related terms

• inquisitor
• inquisition

Translations

investigation into the cause of a death

• Bulgarian: дознание (bg) n (doznanie), следствие (bg) n (sledstvie)
• Esperanto: enketo
• Finnish: oikeuslääketieteellinen kuolemansyyn selvittäminen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: ανάκριση περί θανάτου f (anákrisi perí thanátou)
• Maori: uiuitanga matewhawhati

jury hearing an inquest into the cause of death

• Finnish: kuolemansyyn selvittämislautakunta
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

result of an inquest into the cause of death

• Finnish: kuolinselvitys
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: έκθεση αιτίων θανάτου f (ékthesi aitíon thanátou)

Anagrams

• questin