inquisition
/ˌɪnkwɪˈzɪʃən/noun
1
- a period of prolonged and intensive questioning or investigation盘问; 详尽探究：
she relented in her determined inquisition and offered help.
她追根究底的决心软下来了, 主动提出帮忙。
1.1
- historical a judicial or official inquiry〈史〉审问, 审讯。
1.2
- the verdict of a coroner's jury验尸报告。
2
the Inquisition
an ecclesiastical tribunal established by Pope Gregory IX c.1232 for the suppression of heresy. It was active chiefly in northern Italy and southern France, becoming notorious for the use of torture. In 1542 the papal Inquisition was reinstituted to combat Protestantism, eventually becoming an organ of papal government.异端裁判所, 宗教法庭（约于1232年由罗马教皇格列高利九世为镇压异端而成立, 主要活跃于意大利北部和法国南部, 因使用严刑拷问而臭名昭著; 1542年, 为了打击新教重新建立了教皇的宗教法庭, 最终成为教廷的一个机构）。参见SPANISH INQUSITION.
派生词
inquisitional
adjective词源
late Middle English (denoting a searching examination)： via Old French from Latin inquisitio（n-） 'examination', from the verb inquirere （see ENQUIRE）.