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Leading question   /lˈidɪŋ kwˈɛstʃən/   Listen
noun
Question  n.  
1.
The act of asking; interrogation; inquiry; as, to examine by question and answer.
2.
Discussion; debate; hence, objection; dispute; doubt; as, the story is true beyond question; he obeyed without question. "There arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying." "It is to be to question, whether it be lawful for Christian princes to make an invasive war simply for the propagation of the faith."
3.
Examination with reference to a decisive result; investigation; specifically, a judicial or official investigation; also, examination under torture. "He that was in question for the robbery. Shak. The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question."
4.
That which is asked; inquiry; interrogatory; query. "But this question asked Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain?"
5.
Hence, a subject of investigation, examination, or debate; theme of inquiry; matter to be inquired into; as, a delicate or doubtful question.
6.
Talk; conversation; speech; speech. (Obs.)
In question, in debate; in the course of examination or discussion; as, the matter or point in question.
Leading question. See under Leading.
Out of question, unquestionably. "Out of question, 't is Maria's hand."
Out of the question. See under Out.
Past question, beyond question; certainly; undoubtedly; unquestionably.
Previous question, a question put to a parliamentary assembly upon the motion of a member, in order to ascertain whether it is the will of the body to vote at once, without further debate, on the subject under consideration. Note: The form of the question is: "Shall the main question be now put?" If the vote is in the affirmative, the matter before the body must be voted upon as it then stands, without further general debate or the submission of new amendments. In the House of Representatives of the United States, and generally in America, a negative decision operates to keep the business before the body as if the motion had not been made; but in the English Parliament, it operates to postpone consideration for the day, and until the subject may be again introduced. In American practice, the object of the motion is to hasten action, and it is made by a friend of the measure. In English practice, the object is to get rid of the subject for the time being, and the motion is made with a purpose of voting against it.
To beg the question. See under Beg.
To the question, to the point in dispute; to the real matter under debate.
Synonyms: Point; topic; subject.


adjective
Leading  adj.  Guiding; directing; controlling; foremost; as, a leading motive; a leading man; a leading example.
Leading case (Law), a reported decision which has come to be regarded as settling the law of the question involved.
Leading motive (Mus.), a guiding theme; in the musical drama of Wagner, a marked melodic phrase or short passage which always accompanies the reappearance of a certain person, situation, abstract idea, or allusion in the course of the play; a sort of musical label. Also called leitmotif or leitmotiv.
Leading note (Mus.), the seventh note or tone in the ascending major scale; the sensible note.
Leading question, a question so framed as to guide the person questioned in making his reply.
Leading strings, strings by which children are supported when beginning to walk.
To be in leading strings, to be in a state of infancy or dependence, or under the guidance of others.
Leading wheel, a wheel situated before the driving wheels of a locomotive engine.





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Leading question" Quotes from Famous Books



... fooling, kid," he murmured in her ear, "you know you like me a lot. And say, I'm going to ask you a leading question—will you ...
— Wunpost • Dane Coolidge
... to himself, "But how did he know that there was gold there? How did he discover it?" Granger wondered to whom he was referring—to his own son, to Siwash George, or to someone else; but he dared not ask him a leading question lest his suspicion should be aroused. He went on with his narration feverishly, forgetting in his excitement his resolution to keep sober, emptying the tumbler of whisky recklessly, turn and turn about with his companion, waiting ...
— Murder Point - A Tale of Keewatin • Coningsby Dawson
... said nothing, though it was evident that Miss Wilkins would have been thankful at this stage for some leading question which might help her over a difficult place. Angela could not now give the help she had once offered. Rather was she in need of it herself. She sat waiting, her eyes disconcertingly fixed upon the other woman's flushed ...
— The Port of Adventure • Charles Norris Williamson and Alice Muriel Williamson
... movements they bring to the front, as the leading question in each, the property question, no matter what its degree of development at ...
— The Communist Manifesto • Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
... top step, "it has come to our ears that you left the castle surreptitiously last night. Is it true that you were aided by Miss Calhoun?" Baldos looked thankful for this eminently leading question. In a flash it gave him the key to the situation. Secretly he was wondering what emotions possessed the slender accomplice who had said good-bye to him not so many hours before at the castle gate. He knew that she ...
— Beverly of Graustark • George Barr McCutcheon
... tell you that—" Then he stopped, pondering and perplexed for some minutes, without saying a syllable. "Speak French, Sir," said I; "I perceive that you have forgotten a word in our language;" and I then put another leading question to him, to which he replied, "Yes, I recollect that very well, and I—" Then another dead pause for the verb. I waited a minute in perfect silence, but his memory was as treacherous as he was obstinately bent upon talking English, and then I again spoke to him, ...
— Olla Podrida • Frederick Marryat (AKA Captain Marryat)
... Christ on the scaffold. To hunt out these peaceful ones, and bring them to punishment, is the grand object of the priesthood; and in the confessional they have an instrumentality ready-made for the purpose. Taking advantage of the greater timidity of the female mind, it has become a leading question with the confessor, "Does your husband read the Bible? Has he political papers?" Alas! according to the ancient prophecy, the brother delivers up the brother to death. I heard of some affecting cases of this sort when I was ...
— Pilgrimage from the Alps to the Tiber - Or The Influence of Romanism on Trade, Justice, and Knowledge • James Aitken Wylie
... important for boys to know; for they very often ask leading questions, when they ought not to. Now, if you go and say, 'Raymond, haven't I been a good boy to-day?' that way of asking the question shews that you want him to say, 'Yes, you have.' It is called a leading question, because it leads Raymond to answer in a particular way. Now, if I should go and ask him thus, 'Has Caleb been a good boy to-day?' with the emphasis on has, it would be a leading question the other way. It would sound as if I wanted him to ...
— Caleb in the Country • Jacob Abbott
... incident of the politician's career to which Harwood had never been wholly reconciled. Nor was he pleasantly impressed by Bassett's next remark, which, in view of Mrs. Bassett's natural expectations,—and these Dan had frequently heard mentioned at the capital,—partook of the nature of a leading question. "That's unfortunate. But I suppose Mrs. Owen, by reason of her friendship for the grandfather, ...
— A Hoosier Chronicle • Meredith Nicholson
... in whose examination, Potts tells us, "Mr. Nowell took such great paines," a very summary deliverance might be expected from troublesome neighbours, or still more troublesome relatives; and if, by a leading question, she could only be induced to marshal them in their allotted places at the witches' imaginary banquet, there was little doubt of their taking their station at a place of meeting where the sad realities of life were ...
— Discovery of Witches - The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster • Thomas Potts


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