question mark

Definitions

1. 1

   The punctuation mark "?", used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question.

   • Do you see this curious-looking mark in the margin? It is a little crooked mark with a dot at the bottom of it. It is a question mark. It always comes at the end of questions.
   • When you come to a question mark, you must stop and rest. If the question may be answered by yes or no, your voice must rise on the last word before the question mark.
   • As the relation of the faulted lamprophyre dike to faults 1 to 3 is not known, the intersection of the dike with these faults is shown on plate 13 with question marks.
2. 2

   A state of doubt or uncertainty.

   • There’s a question mark over whether or not he’ll be fit for the next game.
   • Because I keep answering questions with more questions, and there are question marks between myself and other people and I can no longer keep myself from wondering why that must always be so.
3. 3

   An enigmatic, inscrutable, or mysterious person or thing

   An enigmatic, inscrutable, or mysterious person or thing; an enigma, a riddle.

   • Let us admit that the Platonic dialogue is an enigma—something perplexing and to be wondered at. The Platonic dialogue is one big question mark.
   • Those who enroll in my class are English majors seeking a license to teach at the secondary level. To most of them, middle school is a question mark, unexplored territory about which they have mixed feelings.
4. ›+ 2 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Polygonia interrogationis, a North American nymphalid butterfly with a silver mark on the…

      Polygonia interrogationis, a North American nymphalid butterfly with a silver mark on the underside of its hindwing resembling a question mark (sense 1).

      • Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis). Preferred host plants are elms (Ulmus spp.), hackberry (Celtis spp.), hops (Humulus spp.), nettle (Urtica spp.), and false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica).
      • Other members of this genus that are frequently encountered in the park are the eastern comma (P. comma) and question mark (P. interrogationis).
   2. 5

      Final interrogative particle, expressing second-guessing, usually in an exaggerated,…

      Final interrogative particle, expressing second-guessing, usually in an exaggerated, rising tone.

      • All real discovery comes from the ?, the basic curiosity and acceptance of, “Well, we think subatomic particles might exist, at least they have a tendency to exist, but we really don’t know for sure, you know, question mark?”
      • So I see one movement towards a new kind of society, a new kind of mobility. So am I right, question mark?
      • And is it like open? Can like anybody join, question mark?

The neighborhood

• neighborapostrophe
• neighborcurly brackets
• neighborbrace
• neighborsquare bracket
• neighborbracket
• neighborcolon
• neighborcomma
• neighbordash
• neighborellipsis
• neighborexclamation mark
• neighborfraction slash
• neighborguillemet