What is "to beg the question"

Question \Ques"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. quaestio, fr. quaerere, quaesitum, to seek for, ask, inquire. See Quest, 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. -- John iii. 25.

   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. -- Bacon.

3. Examination with reference to a decisive result; investigation; specifically, a judicial or official investigation; also, examination under torture.
   --Blackstone.

   He that was in question for the robbery. Shak. The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question.
   --Macaulay.

4. That which is asked; inquiry; interrogatory; query.

   But this question asked Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain ?
   --Milton.

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.]
   --Shak.

   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.''
   --Shak.

   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.
   --Cushing.

   To beg the question. See under Beg.

   To the question, to the point in dispute; to the real matter under debate.

   Syn: Point; topic; subject.

Beg \Beg\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Begged; p. pr. & vb. n. Begging.] [OE. beggen, perh. fr. AS. bedecian (akin to Goth. bedagwa beggar), biddan to ask. (Cf. Bid, v. t.); or cf. beghard, beguin.]

1. To ask earnestly for; to entreat or supplicate for; to beseech.

   I do beg your good will in this case.
   --Shak.

   [Joseph] begged the body of Jesus.
   --Matt. xxvii. 58.

   Note: Sometimes implying deferential and respectful, rather than earnest, asking; as, I beg your pardon; I beg leave to disagree with you.

2. To ask for as a charity, esp. to ask for habitually or from house to house.

   Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
   --Ps. xxxvii. 25.

3. To make petition to; to entreat; as, to beg a person to grant a favor.

4. To take for granted; to assume without proof.

5. (Old Law) To ask to be appointed guardiln for, or to aso to havo a guardian appointed for.

   Else some will beg thee, in the court of wards.
   --Harrington. [1913 Webster] Hence:

   To beg (one) for a fool, to take him for a fool.

   I beg to, is an elliptical expression for I beg leave to; as, I beg to inform you.

   To beg the question, to assume that which was to be proved in a discussion, instead of adducing the proof or sustaining the point by argument.

   To go a-begging, a figurative phrase to express the absence of demand for something which elsewhere brings a price; as, grapes are so plentiful there that they go a-begging.

   Syn: To Beg, Ask, Request.

   Usage: To ask (not in the sense of inquiring) is the generic term which embraces all these words. To request is only a polite mode of asking. To beg, in its original sense, was to ask with earnestness, and implied submission, or at least deference. At present, however, in polite life, beg has dropped its original meaning, and has taken the place of both ask and request, on the ground of its expressing more of deference and respect. Thus, we beg a person's acceptance of a present; we beg him to favor us with his company; a tradesman begs to announce the arrival of new goods, etc. Crabb remarks that, according to present usage, ``we can never talk of asking a person's acceptance of a thing, or of asking him to do us a favor.'' This can be more truly said of usage in England than in America.