examine

Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

cross-examine (someone)

1. In law, to question a witness or suspect after the opposing side has already done so, as to undermine or clarify their testimony. I have doubts that that witness is telling the truth, and I'll expose it when I cross-examine him.

2. By extension, to question someone thoroughly. Geez Mom, why are you cross-examining me? I told you the truth—I was at Kelly's house all night.

examine (one) for (something)

To look closely at someone or something in search of something in particular. Please examine the patient in bed one for signs of infection.

See also: examine

examine (one) in (something)

To test one on their knowledge in a particular subject or area. A noun or pronoun can be used between "examine" and "in." The department head will examine you in all literature from the Restoration through the Victorian age.

See also: examine

examine (one) on (something)

To test one on their knowledge in a particular subject or area. A noun or pronoun can be used between "examine" and "on." The department head will examine you on all literature from the Restoration through the Victorian age.

get (one's) head examined

What one is said to need to do if one does, says, or believes something that seems completely crazy, delusional, or stupid. You need to get your head examined if you don't think giant corporations are in control of our legislators! You spent $400 on a T-shirt? You need to get your head examined.

have (one's) head examined

What one is said to need to do if one does, says, or believes something that seems completely crazy, delusional, or stupid. You need to have your head examined if you don't think giant corporations are in control of our legislators! You spent $400 on a T-shirt? You need to have your head examined.

need (one's) head examined

To do, say, or believe something that seems completely crazy, delusional, or stupid. You need your head examined if you don't think giant corporations are in control of our legislators! You spent $400 on a T-shirt? You need your head examined.

want (one's) head examined

To be, do, say, or believe something that seems completely crazy, delusional, or stupid. You want your head examined if you don't think giant corporations are in control of our legislators! You spent $400 on a T-shirt? You want your head examined.

cross-examine someone

to question someone in court who has already been questioned by the opposing side; to question a suspect or a witness at great length. The lawyer plans to cross-examine the witness tomorrow morning. The police cross-examined the suspect for three hours.

examine someone in something

to give someone an examination in a particular subject or covering certain material. The committee examined her in her knowledge of history. I was examined in math.

See also: examine

examine someone on something

to give someone an examination covering certain material. I will have to examine you on this chapter myself. The teacher examined Larry on his understanding of phonetics.

examine someone or something for something

to inspect someone or something for the presence of something. I examined the child for signs of abuse. You had better examine this dog for ticks. Don't forget to examine yourself for ticks after you return from the hike.

See also: examine

get one's head examined

Also, have one's head examined. One is crazy or absolutely wrong. For example, You like this food? Go get your head examined, or If you believe that story, you should have your head examined. This hyperbolic and usually jocular expression of disagreement may, thought Eric Partridge, allude to the now discredited field of phrenology, which holds that the configurations of the skull reveal mental and emotional characteristics. [Early 1900s]

need your head examined

be foolishly irresponsible.

The implication here is that the examination will reveal proof of insanity.

1992 Patrick McCabe The Butcher Boy Any man thinks this work is easy needs his head examined—you want to be tough to work here!

need, want, etc. your ˈhead examined

(informal) used for saying that somebody is behaving in a crazy or stupid way: She spent $300 on a pair of shoes? She needs her head examined.

See also: examine, head

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

See also:

References in periodicals archive ?

Instead, Fouad encouraged career counselors to look beyond individual differences and to examine the collectivistic cultural norms that may influence the development of vocational interests in clients from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Practice and research in career counseling and development--2002

With a valid comparison group and longitudinal earnings records, it is now possible to examine employment outcomes that may be attributable to VR service provision.

Comparing employment-related outcomes of the vocational rehabilitation program using longitudinal earnings

It is not only important to examine the significant differences between the way physician executives use influence strategies with attractive and unattractive subordinates and superiors, but also worthwhile to examine the rankings of the strategies associated with the two targets (see figure 4, p.

Persuasion strategies for physician executives: influencing subordinates

These chapters examine such issues as stage fright, psychosomatic aches and pains, self-talk, criticism, visualization and so forth.

Annotated bibliography on musician wellness

The main quality of the present study restes on the author's ability to examine not only how the lynching phenomenon represented a cultural response in times of crisis but also how the role of the lynch mob fluctuated from one set of polarities to any other.

The Making of a Lynching Culture: Violence and Vigilantism in Central Texas, 1836-1916

Beginning in the 1990s, however, a few non-Primitive Baptists began to examine the movement through dissertation research.

The Formation of the Primitive Baptist Movement

In order to examine the sense of community and rural community change, Salamon utilized a community ethnographic method supplemented by additional research methods, and she devised a typology to examine four community dimension indicators which consisted of (1) public space and place; (2) interconnections; (3) social resources; and (4) cross-age relations.

Sonja Salamon, Newcomers to Old Towns: Suburbanization of the Heartland

1) Examine the relationship between health literacy and health disparities; 2) analyze the role of health literacy in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases; 3) identify the relationship between health literacy variation and the ability to engage in informed decision making for a variety of health issues, such as chronic disease management and participation in clinical trials; 4) evaluate the magnitude of the problems caused by low levels of health literacy or by professionals' lack of effective communication skills for adapting to the communication needs of consumers with differing levels of literacy; or 5) assess the role of health literacy as a mediator or moderator of health care access across adulthood.

Understanding and promoting health literacy

Some of these initiatives will examine executive compensation, employment tax and excess-benefit transactions for exempt organizations.

New IRS compliance initiatives

Two history professors examine events and attitudes surrounding the New York state constitutional convention of 1821, where black voting rights were sharply circumscribed, bolstering their accounts with documents, excerpts, illustrations and maps.

The Africans who settled Manhattan: new studies tell the stories of the ancestors, slave and free, who labored to create New York

We conducted chi-square analyses and t tests to examine gender differences in reports of alternative sources and functions.

Beyond mentoring: alternative sources and functions of developmental support

Racino focuses on qualitative research throughout the book and clearly wants to educate rehabilitation professionals about the role and value of qualitative research in the field, as well as how to utilize this form of research to examine the effects of disability law policies and programs on the quality of life for persons with disabilities.

Policy, Program Evaluation, and Research in Disability: Community Support for All

The next article will examine OIG's Draft Compliance Plan and give providers a starter course in creating their own plan.

What's on the OIG's Mind: Part I

Instead, many examine issues more from first principles and do not necessarily conic to firm conclusions.

DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY

For example, in an embezzlement case, the investigator would need to examine bank records and interview bank tellers to prove that the suspect converted agency funds to personal use.

Investigative planning: creating a strong foundation for white-collar crime cases