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Invoke vs Ask - What's the difference?

invoke | ask |

As a verb invoke

is to call upon (a person, especially a god) for help, assistance or guidance.

As a noun ask is

amplitude shift keying.

invoke

English

Alternative forms

* envoke

Verb

(invok)
  • To call upon (a person, especially a god) for help, assistance or guidance.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • To appeal for validation to a (notably cited) authority.
  • In certain Christian circles invoking the Bible constitutes irrefutable proof.
  • To conjure up with incantations.
  • This satanist ritual invokes Beelzebub.
  • To bring about as an inevitable consequence.
  • Blasphemy is taboo as it may invoke divine wrath.
  • To solicit, petition for, appeal to a favorable attitude.
  • The envoy invoked the King of Kings's magnanimity to reduce his province's tribute after another draught.
  • (computing) To cause (a program or subroutine) to execute.
  • Interactive programs let the users enter choices and invoke the corresponding routines.
  • * C++ lets you invoke an operator function either by calling the function or by using the overloaded operator with its usual syntax. — Stephen Prata.
  • Synonyms

    * invocate * (sense) call, execute, run

    Derived terms

    * invoker

    ask

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) asken, from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To request (information, or an answer to a question).
  • I asked her age.
  • To put forward (a question) to be answered.
  • to ask a question
  • To interrogate or enquire of (a person).
  • I'm going to ask this lady for directions.
  • * Bible, John ix. 21
  • He is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
  • To request or petition; usually with for .
  • to ask for a second helping at dinner
    to ask for help with homework
  • * Bible, Matthew vii. 7
  • Ask , and it shall be given you.
  • To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity.
  • What price are you asking for the house?
  • * Addison
  • An exigence of state asks a much longer time to conduct a design to maturity.
  • To invite.
  • Don't ask them to the wedding.
  • To publish in church for marriage; said of both the banns and the persons.
  • (Fuller)
  • (figuratively) To take (a person's situation) as an example.
  • *
  • Usage notes
    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See * Pronouncing ask as /æks/ is a common example of metathesis and a feature of some varieties of English, notably African American Vernacular English (AAVE). * The action expressed by the verb ask'' can also be expressed by the noun-verb combination ''pose a question'' (confer the parallel in German between ''fragen'' and ''eine Frage stellen ).
    Derived terms
    * ask after * ask around * ask for * ask in * ask out * ask over * ask round * for the asking * no questions asked * outask

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act or instance of asking.
  • * 2005 , Laura Fredricks, The ask :
  • To ask for a gift is a privilege, a wonderful expression of commitment to and ownership of the organization. Getting a yes to an ask can be a rush, but asking for the gift can and should be just as rewarding.
  • Something asked or asked for; a request.
  • * 2008 , Doug Fields, Duffy Robbins, Speaking to Teenagers :
  • Communication researchers call this the foot-in-the-door syndrome. Essentially it's based on the observation that people who respond positively to a small “ask'” are more likely to respond to a bigger “' ask ” later on.
  • An asking price.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) aske, arske, from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An eft; newt.
  • * 1876 , S. Smiles, Scottish Naturalist :
  • He looked at the beast. It was not an eel. It was very like an ask .
  • A lizard.
  • Statistics

    *