The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Request \Re*quest"\ (r[-e]*kw[e^]st"), n. [OE. requeste, OF.
   requeste, F. requ[^e]te, LL. requesta, for requisita, fr. L.
   requirere, requisitum, to seek again, ask for. See Require,
   and cf. Quest.]
   1. The act of asking for anything desired; expression of
      desire or demand; solicitation; prayer; petition;
      entreaty.
      [1913 Webster]

            I will marry her, sir, at your request. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. That which is asked for or requested. "He gave them their
      request." --Ps. cvi. 15.
      [1913 Webster]

            I will both hear and grant you your requests.
                                                  --Shak.
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   3. A state of being desired or held in such estimation as to
      be sought after or asked for; demand.
      [1913 Webster]

            Knowledge and fame were in as great request as
            wealth among us now.                  --Sir W.
                                                  Temple.
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   Court of Requests.
      (a) A local tribunal, sometimes called Court of
          Consience, founded by act of Parliament to facilitate
          the recovery of small debts from any inhabitant or
          trader in the district defined by the act; -- now
          mostly abolished.
      (b) A court of equity for the relief of such persons as
          addressed the sovereign by supplication; -- now
          abolished. It was inferior to the Court of Chancery.
          [Eng.] --Brande & C.
          [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Asking; solicitation; petition; prayer; supplication;
        entreaty; suit.
        [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Request \Re*quest"\ (r?-kw?st"), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
   Requested; p. pr. & vb. n. Requesting.] [Cf. OF.
   requester, F. requ[^e]ter.]
   1. To ask for (something); to express desire ffor; to
      solicit; as, to request his presence, or a favor.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To address with a request; to ask.
      [1913 Webster]

            I request you
            To give my poor host freedom.         --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: To ask; solicit; entreat; beseech. See Beg.
        [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

request
    n 1: a formal message requesting something that is submitted to
         an authority [syn: request, petition, postulation]
    2: the verbal act of requesting [syn: request, asking]
    v 1: express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an
         extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service" [syn:
         request, bespeak, call for, quest]
    2: ask (a person) to do something; "She asked him to be here at
       noon"; "I requested that she type the entire manuscript"
    3: inquire for (information); "I requested information from the
       secretary"

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

46 Moby Thesaurus words for "request":
   appeal, application, apply for, ask, ask for, beg, beg leave,
   beseech, bespeak, call, call for, crave, demand, desire, entreat,
   entreaty, file for, importune, improper suggestion,
   indecent proposal, indent, insist on, instance, make a request,
   make a requisition, make application, motion, order, pass,
   petition, plea, plead for, pray, proposal, proposition, put in for,
   requisition, resolution, seek, sexual advance, solicit,
   solicitation, sue, suggestion, whistle for, wish



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

REQUEST, contracts. A notice of a desire on the part of the person making
it, that the other party shall do something in relation to a contract.
     2. In general when a debt exists payable immediately, the law does not
impose on the creditor to make a request of payment. But when by the express
terms of a contract, a request is necessary, it must be made. And in some
cases where there is no express agreement a request is also requisite; as
where A sells a horse to B to be paid for on delivery, a demand or request
to deliver must be made before B can sustain an action; 5 T. R. 409; 1 East,
209; or, it must be shown that A has incapacitated himself to deliver the
horse because he has sold the horse to another person. 10 East. 359; 5 B. &
A. 712. On a general promise to marry, a request must be made before action,
unless the proposed defendant has married another. 2 Dow. & Ry. 55. Vide
Demand.
     3. A request, like a notice, ought to be in writing and state
distinctly what is required to be done without any ambiguous terms. 1 Chit.
Pr. 497, 498.



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

REQUEST, pleading. The statement in the plaintiff's declaration that a
demand or request has been made by the plaintiff from the defendant, to do
some act which he was bound to perform, and for which the action is brought.
     2. A request is general or special. The former is called the licet
saepius requisitus, (q.v.) or "although often requested so to do;" though
generally inserted in the common breach to the money counts, it is of no
avail in pleading, and the omission of it will not vitiate the declaration.
2 Hen. Bl. 131; 1 Bos. & Pull. 59, 60; and see 1 John. Cas. 100. Whenever it
is essential to the cause of action, that the plaintiff should have
requested the defendant to perform his contract, such request must be stated
in the declaration and proved. The special request must state by whom, and
the time and place when it was made, in order that the court may judge of
its sufficiency. 1 Str. 89, Vide Com. Dig. Pleader, C 69, 70; 1 Saund. 33;
2 Ventr. 75; 3 Bos. & Pull. 438; 3 John. R. 207; 1 John. Cas. 319; 10 Mass.
R. 230; 3 Day's R. 327; and the articles Demand; Licet saepius requisitus.