acquisitive - eager or likely to get and keep: The retreat speaker described an acquisitive society that has forgotten the joys of giving and conversing. Also: acquisitiveness, acquisition. [adquiro, adquirere, adquisivi, adquisitus - to acquire]

conquistador - one of the 16th-century Spanish conquerors of Mexico and Peru: If the conquistadors were active today, they would be condemned by most civilized people as greedy, bloodthirsty criminals. [conquiro, conquirere, conquisivi, conquisitus - to to search out, bring together; to collect; conquisitio, conquisitionis, f. - a bringing together; a search; collection; conquisitor, conquisitoris, m. - a recruiting officer]

disquisition - a formal speech or writing about a subject: "This 'brief report' is turning into a disquisition," lamented the red-eyed graduate student. Also: disquisitive (having to do with or given to disquisition), disquisitional, disquisitor. [disquisitio, disquisitionis, f. - inquiry, investigation; disquiro, disquirere, disquisivi, disquisitus - to investigate] 

inquest - 1) legal investigation of the cause of death when murder is suspected: The case was put on hold until the results of the inquest were disclosed. 2) any investigation. 

inquisition - 1) an official investigation characterized by prejudice, lack of regard for human rights, and cruelty: Neither Spain nor Europe has a monopoly on inquisitions; they occur wherever nonconformists are sought out, tortured, given a perfunctory trial, and condemned on fraudulent charges. 2) any harsh, protracted investigation; 3) the act of inquiring. Also: inquisitional, inquisitionist, inquisitor. [inquisitio, inquisitionis, f. - searching after; investigation; inquisitor, inquisitoris, m. - inquirer, investigator] 

perquisite - anything received for work over and above the regular pay: Employees appreciate perquisites like luncheons with the boss, attendance incentives, and holiday bonuses. Also: perk (perquisite). [perquiro, perquirere, perquisivi, perquisitus - to search for (inquire into) carefully] 

query - (n.) 1) question: "I have just one small query," said the teacher after Andrew had stumbled through his report. "Who wrote that?" 2) doubt; (trans. v.) 1) to ask about; 2) to ask questions of; (intrans. v.) to ask questions. Also: querist (a person who inquires or questions).

requisition - (n.) 1) a formal demand that something be done; 2) a written request for something; (v.) 1) to demand authoritatively; 2) to press into service; 3) to request in writing. also: requisitionary, requisitional, requisitioner. [quaesitio, quaesitionis, f. - investigation; quaesitor, quaesitoris, m. - investigator, examiner]

quandary - a perplexed or uncertain condition; dilemma: Persistent rumors about the company’s moving to another state had many of the workers in a quandary. [aliquando - at some time; sometimes; quandocumque - whenever; quandoque - whenever; quandoquidem - since, because] 

quantitative - having to do with quantify or measurement: Also: quantifiable, quantification, quantifier, quantify (to determine or express the quantity of; to express as a quantity), quantitate (to measure or to determine the quantiy of), quantitation, quantitativeness, quantitiveness, quantity. By relentlessly increasing the speed of production, one reaches a point where quantitative improvement is outweighed by qualitative decline.

quartile - in statistics, any of four groups of equal frequency into which a series (e.g., a distribution of scores) is divided: The parents were pleased to see that their son's S.A.T. scores were in the first quartile. 

querulous - full of complaints; complaining; faultfinding: According to the saying "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar," a pleasant person will be more successful than a querulous one. Also: querulousness. [querulus. querula, querulum - complaining; questus, questus, m. - a complaint]

acquiesce - to agree or assent without protest: Some employers appreciate employees who speak their minds openly; others can tolerate only those who acquiesce in the boss's ideas. Also: acquiescence, acquiescent (acquiescing; inclined to acquiesce). [adquiesco, adquiescere, adquievi, adquietus - to rest; to be content] 

quiescent - being at rest; inactive; motionless: She preferred men with active minds and quiescent mouths. Also: quiescence, quiescency. 

requiem - 1) a Mass for the dead:; 2) a musical service or hymn for the dead: Mozart wrote his Requiem during the final year of his life; he died before he could finish it. [quies, quietis, f. - rest, quiet; requies, requietis, f. - rest, repose; requiesco, requiescere, requievi, requietus - to rest]

requite - 1) to repay, to make repayment: She never wanted less than requited love; having that, she never asked for more. 2) to reward; 3) to avenge. Also: requital (act of requiting; repayment), requitable, requitement, requiter, unrequited. [quies, quietis, f. - rest, quiet; requies, requietis, f. - rest, repose; requiesco, requiescere, requievi, requietus - to rest] 

quietude - state of being quiet; tranquility; calmness; stillness: Since they value natural beauty and quietude, they are building their home next to a remote mountain lake. [quies, quietis, f. - rest, repose; quiesco, quiescere, quievi, quietus - to rest, repose]

quintessence - 1) the purest form of some quality: Many people believe that the so-called golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you," expresses the quintessence of virtuous living. 2) in ancient philosophy, the fifth substance, the substance of which the heavenly bodies were made, distinguished from the four elements of fire, water, air, and earth. Also: quintessential. [essentia, essentiae, f. - essence] 

quiddity - 1) that which makes a thing what it is, essence; 2) a distinction of no importance, trifle: Everyone agrees that metaphysicians deal with quiddities, but skeptics would insist on applying the second definition. 

quid pro quo - one thing in return for another: The world of politics seems to be one quid pro quo after another. [pro (prep. w/ abl.) - for] 

quorum - whose

quorum - the number of members of an organization who must be present to conduct business legally: Finding themselves without a quorum for the sixth straight month, the homeowners present at the meeting were the first to sign a petition to dissolve the association.

Moutoux, Latin Derivatives