Lexical Definition

‎ποῖος‎ poîos (poy'-os) what? ^G:I
from the base of ‎ποῦ‎ and ‎οἷος‎

what (manner of), which.

• individualizing interrogative (of character) what sort of, or (of number) which one

Abbott-Smith

ποῖος, -α, -ον, interrog. pronom. adj. (corresponding to the demonstr. τοῖος and the relat. οἷος), [in LXX chiefly for אֵי־זֶה;]
of what quality or sort: absol., n. pl., Lk 24:19; c. subst.;
(a) prop., in direct questions: Mt 19:18 21:23 22:36 24:42, Mk 11:28 12:28, Lk 6:32-34, Jo 10:32, Ac 4:7 7:49, Ro 3:27, I Co 15:35, Ja 4:14 (but v.s. ποία), I Pe 2:20;
(b) in indirect questions = ὁποῖος: Mt 21:24, 27 24:43, Mk 11:29, 33, Lk 12:39 20:2, 8, Jo 12:33 18:32 21:19, Ac 23:34, I Pe 1:11, Re 3:3; ποίας (sc. ὁδοῦ), Lk 5:19.†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ποῖος, α, ον,

Ionic dialect κοῖος, η, ον, of what kind? in [Refs 8th c.BC+] what manner of speech hast thou spoken! [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ποῖοί κ᾽ εἶτ᾽ Ὀδυσῆϊ ἀμυνέμεν what sort would ye be to.. ! [Refs 8th c.BC+]; in simple questions, ποίῃ.. νηΐ σε ναῦται ἤγαγο; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ποῖος οὐ interrogative, equivalent to every affirmative, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__2 frequently in Comedy texts and Prose dialogue, used in repeating a word used by the former speaker, to express scornful surprise, Πρωτέως τάδ᾽ ἐστὶ μέλαθρα. Answ. ποίου Πρωτέω; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__3 with the Article, when the question implies a Noun which is defined by the Article or the context, τὸ π. εὑρὼν.. φάρμακο; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; λέγεις δὲ τὴν π. κατάστασιν ὀλιγαρχία; Answ. τὴν ἀπὸ τιμημάτων πολιτείαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently with the demonstrative, ὁ ποῖος οὗτος Λάμαχο; Answ. ὁ δεινός, ὁ ταλαύρινος.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]: sometimes the answer is given more generally, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: so also without the Article, κοῖα ταῦτα λέγει; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. Ἐρινὺν τήνδε..; what sort of Fury is this that..? [Refs 4th c.BC+]; π. ἐρεῖς τόδ᾽ ἔπο; what sort of word is this that thou wilt speak? [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__4 ποῖός τι; making the question less definite, κοῖόν μέ τινα νομίζουσι Πέρσαι εἶνα; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II like{ὁποῖος}, in indirect questions, διδάξω.. ποῖα χρὴ λέγειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐκ οἶδα ὁποίᾳ τόλμῃ ἢ ποίοις λόγοις χρώμενος ἐρῶ[Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III ={ποδαπός}; ποῖος οὑτοσὶ [ὁ] Τιμόθεο;—Μιλήσιός τις.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.2 whose? ἐν π. δυνάμει ἢ ἐν π. ὀνόματ; [NT]
__IV simply, what, which? especially of place or time, ποίης ἐξ εὔχεται εἶναι γαίη; [NT+8th c.BC+]; ποίᾳ ἄλλῃ (i.e. ὁδῷ); by what other way? [Refs 5th c.BC+] metaphorically, how? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ποίου χρόνο; since what time? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀπὸ ποίου ἔτους [Refs 1st c.AD+]; ποίᾳ ἡμέρ; [NT+4th c.BC+]; φυλᾶς ἑλομένοις ἑκάστου (={-ῳ}) ποίας κε βέλλειτει (ἧστινος ἂν βούληται, i.e. εἶναι) [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ποίας φυλῆς ἐστι [LXX]; π., = quis, [Refs]
__V ={πότερος}, [Refs]
__VI adverb ποίως Hdn.Gr.2.925, [Refs]. [The first syllable is sometimes short in Trag. and Comedy texts, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Acts.4.7 ☩ Matt.21.23 ☩ LXX.2Kgs.15.2 ☩ LXX.1Kgs.13.12 ☩ Acts.23.34 ☩ Matt.24.42}