Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 + 1828)

Page 1180

Quire

Quire (?), n. [OE. quaer, quair, OF. quayer, cayer, ca\'8ber, F. cahier, a book of loose sheets, a quarter of a quire, LL. quaternus, quaternum, sheets of paper packed together, properly, four together, fr. L. quaterni four each, by fours, quattuor, four. See Four and cf. Cahier.] A collection of twenty-four sheets of paper of the same size and quality, unfolded or having a single fold; one twentieth of a ream.

Quirister

Quir"is*ter (?), n. [See Quire, Chorister.] A chorister. See Chorister. [R.] Thomson.

Quiritation

Quir`i*ta"tion (?), n. [L. quiritatio, fr. quiritare to raise a plaintive cry, v. freq. fr. queri to complain.] A crying for help. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Quirite

Qui"rite (?), n. One of the Quirites.

Quirites

Qui*ri"tes (?), n. pl. [L., fr. Cures, a Sabine town.] (Rom. Antiq.) Roman citizens. &hand; After the Sabines and Romans had united themselves into one community, under Romulus, the name of Quirites was taken in addition to that of Romani, the Romans calling themselves in a civil capacity Quirites, while in a political and military capacity they retained the name of Romani. Andrews.

Quirk

Quirk (?), n. [Written also querk.] [Cf W. chwiori to turn briskly, or E. queer.]

1. A sudden turn; a starting from the point or line; hence, an artful evasion or subterfuge; a shift; a quibble; as, the quirks of a pettifogger. Some quirk or . . . evasion." Spenser.

We ground the justification of our nonconformity on dark subtilties and intricate quirks. Barrow.

2. A fit or turn; a short paroxysm; a caprice. [Obs.] Quirks of joy and grief." Shak.

3. A smart retort; a quibble; a shallow conceit.

Some odd quirks and remnants of wit. Shak.

4. An irregular air; as, light quirks of music. Pope.

5. (Building) A piece of ground taken out of any regular ground plot or floor, so as to make a court, yard, etc.; -- sometimes written quink. Gwilt.

6. (Arch.) A small channel, deeply recessed in proportion to its width, used to insulate and give relief to a convex rounded molding. Quirk molding, a bead between two quirks.

Quirked

Quirked (?), a. Having, or formed with, a quirk or quirks.

Quirkish

Quirk"ish (?), Consisting of quirks; resembling a quirk. Barrow.

Quirky

Quirk"y (?), a. Full of quirks; tricky; as, a quirky lawyer.

Quirl

Quirl (?), n. & v. See Querl.

Quirpele

Quir"pele (?), n. [Tamil kīrippillai.] (Zoöl.) The Indian ferret.

Quirt

Quirt (?), n. A rawhide whip plaited with two thongs of buffalo hide T. Roosevelt.

Quish

Quish (?), n. See Cuish.

Quit

Quit (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small passerine birds native of tropical America. See Banana quit, under Banana, and Guitguit.

Quit

Quit (?), a. [OE. quite, OF. quite, F. quitte. See Quit, v., Quirt.]Released from obligation, charge, penalty, etc.; free; clear; absolved; acquitted. Chaucer. The owner of the ox shall be quit. Ex. xxi. 28. &hand; This word is sometimes used in the form quits, colloquially; as, to be quits with one, that is, to have made mutual satisfaction of demands with him; to be even with him; hence, as an exclamation: Quits! we are even, or on equal terms. To cry quits with the commons in their complaints." Fuller. Quit Quit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quit or Quitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Quitting.] [OE. quiten, OF. quiter, quitier, cuitier, F. quitter, to acquit, quit, LL. quietare, fr. L. quietare to calm, to quiet, fr. quietus quiet. See Quiet, a., and cf. Quit, a., Quite, Acquit, Requite.]1. To set at rest; to free, as from anything harmful or oppressive; to relieve; to clear; to liberate. [R.] To quit you of this fear, you have already looked Death in the face; what have you found so terrible in it? Wake. 2. To release from obligation, accusation, penalty, or the like; to absolve; to acquit. There may no gold them quyte. Chaucer. God will relent, and quit thee all his debt. Milton. 3. To discharge, as an obligation or duty; to meet and satisfy, as a claim or debt; to make payment for or of; to requite; to repay. The blissful martyr quyte you your meed. Chaucer. Enkindle all the sparks of nature To quit this horrid act. Shak. Before that judge that quits each soul his hire. Fairfax. 4. To meet the claims upon, or expectations entertained of; to conduct; to acquit; -- used reflexively. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men. I Sam. iv. 9. Samson hath guit himself Like Samson. Milton. 5. To carry through; to go through to the end. [Obs.] Never worthy prince a day did quit With greater hazard and with more renown. Daniel. 6. To have done with; to cease from; to stop; hence, to depart from; to leave; to forsake; as, to quit work; to quit the place; to quit jesting. Such a superficial way of examining is to quit truth for appearance. Locke. To quit cost, to pay; to reimburse. -- To quit scores, to make even; to clear mutually from demands. Does not the earth quit scores with all the elements in the noble fruits that issue from it? South. Syn. -- To leave; relinquish; resign; abandon; forsake; surrender; discharge; requite. -- Quit, Leave. Leave is a general term, signifying merely an act of departure; quit implies a going without intention of return, a final and absolute abandonment. Quit Quit, v. i. To away; to depart; to stop doing a thing; to cease. Quitch Quitch (?), n.

1. (Bot.) Same as Quitch grass.

2. Figuratively: A vice; a taint; an evil.

To pick the vicious quitch Of blood and custom wholly out of him. Tennyson

Quitch grass

Quitch" grass` (?). [Properly quick grass, being probably so called from its vigorous growth, or from its tenacity of life. See Quick, and cf. Couch grass.] (Bot.) A perennial grass (Agropyrum repens) having long running rootstalks, by which it spreads rapidly and pertinaciously, and so becomes a troublesome weed. Also called couch grass, quick grass, quick grass, twitch grass. See Illustration in Appendix.

Quitclaim

Quit"claim` (?), n. [Quit, a. + claim.] (Law) A release or relinquishment of a claim; a deed of release; an instrument by which some right, title, interest, or claim, which one person has, or is supposed to have, in or to an estate held by himself or another, is released or relinquished, the grantor generally covenanting only against persons who claim under himself.

Quitclaim

Quit"claim`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quitclaimed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Quitclaiming.] (Law) To release or relinquish a claim to; to release a claim to by deed, without covenants of warranty against adverse and paramount titles.

Quite

Quite (?), v. t. & i. See Quit. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Quite

Quite (?), adv. [F. quite discharged, free, clear; cf. OF. quitement freely, frankly, entirely. See Quit, a.]

1. Completely; wholly; entirely; totally; perfectly; as, the work is not quite done; the object is quite accomplished; to be quite mistaken.

Man shall not quite be lost, but saved who will. Milton.

The same actions may be aimed at different ends, and arise from quite contrary principles. Spectator.

2. To a great extent or degree; very; very much; considerably. Quite amusing." Macaulay.

He really looks quite concerned. Landor.

The island stretches along the land and is quite close to it. Jowett (Thucyd. ).

Quitly

Quit"ly (?), adv. Quite. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Quitrent

Quit"rent` (?), n. [Quit, a. + rent] (Law) A rent reserved in grants of land, by the payment of which the tenant is quit from other service. Blackstone. &hand; In some of the United States a fee-farm rent is so termed. Burrill.

Quits

Quits (?) interj. See the Note under Quit, a.

Quittable

Quit"ta*ble (?), a. Capable of being quitted.

Quittal

Quit"tal (?), n. Return; requital; quittance. [Obs.]

Quittance

Quit"tance (?), n. [OE. quitaunce, OF. quitance, F. quittance. See Quit, v. t.]

1. Discharge from a debt or an obligation; acquittance.

Omittance is no quittance. Shak.

2. Recompense; return; repayment. [Obs.] Shak.

Quittance

Quit"tance, v. t. To repay; to requite. [Obs.] Shak.

Quitter

Quit"ter (?), n.

1. One who quits.

2. A deliverer. [Obs.] Ainsworth.

Quittor

Quit"tor (?), n. [Perhaps for quitture.] (Far.) A chronic abscess, or fistula of the coronet, in a horse's foot, resulting from inflammation of the tissues investing the coffin bone.

Quitture

Quit"ture (?), n. A discharge; an issue. [Obs.]

To cleanse the quitture from thy wound. Chapman.

Quiver

Quiv"er (?), a. [Akin to AS. cwiferlice anxiously; cf. OD. kuiven, kuiveren. Cf. Quaver.] Nimble; active. [Obs.] A little quiver fellow." Shak.

Quiver

Quiv"er, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Quivered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Quivering.] [Cf. Quaver.] To shake or move with slight and tremulous motion; to tremble; to quake; to shudder; to shiver.

The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind. Shak.

And left the limbs still quivering on the ground. Addison.

Quiver

Quiv"er, n. The act or state of quivering; a tremor.

Quiver

Quiv"er, n. [OF. cuivre, cuevre, coivre, LL. cucurum, fr. OHG. chohhāri quiver, receptacle, G. köcher quiver; akin to AS. color, cocur, cocer, D. koker. Cf. Cocker a high shoe.] A case or sheath for arrows to be carried on the person.

Reside him hung his bow And quiver, with three-bolted thunder stored. Milton.

Quivered

Quiv"ered (?), a.

1. Furnished with, or carrying, a quiver. Like a quivered nymph with arrows keen." Milton.

2. Sheathed, as in a quiver. Whose quills stand quivered at his ear." Pope.

Quiveringly

Quiv"er*ing*ly (?), adv. With quivering motion.

Qui vive

Qui` vive" (?). [F., fr. qui who + vive, pres. subj. of vivre to live.] The challenge of a French sentinel, or patrol; -- used like the English challenge: Who comes there?" To be on the qui vive, to be on guard; to be watchful and alert, like a sentinel.

Quixotic

Quix*ot"ic (?), a. Like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance; absurdly chivalric; apt to be deluded. Feats of quixotic gallantry." Prescott.

Quixotically

Quix*ot"ic*al*ly (?), adv. In a quixotic way.

Quixotism

Quix"ot*ism (?), n. That form of delusion which leads to extravagant and absurd undertakings or sacrifices in obedience to a morbidly romantic ideal of duty or honor, as illustrated by the exploits of Don Quixote in knight-errantry.

Quixotry

Quix"ot*ry (?), n. Quixotism; visionary schemes.

Quiz

Quiz (?), n. [It is said that Daly, the manager of a Dublin playhouse, laid a wager that a new word of no meaning should be the common talk and puzzle of the city in twenty-fours. In consequence of this the letters q u i z were chalked by him on all the walls of Dublin, with an effect that won the wager. Perhaps, however, originally a variant of whiz, and formerly the name of a popular game.]

1. A riddle or obscure question; an enigma; a ridiculous hoax.

2. One who quizzes others; as, he is a great quiz.

3. An odd or absurd fellow. Smart. Thackeray.

4. An exercise, or a course of exercises, conducted as a coaching or as an examination. [Cant, U.S.]

Quiz

Quiz (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quizzed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Quizzing (?).]

1. To puzzle; to banter; to chaff or mock with pretended seriousness of discourse; to make sport of, as by obscure questions.

He quizzed unmercifully all the men in the room. Thackeray.

2. To peer at; to eye suspiciously or mockingly.

3. To instruct in or by a quiz. See Quiz, n., 4. [U.S.] Quizzing glass, a small eyeglass.

Quiz

Quiz, v. i. To conduct a quiz. See Quiz, n., 4. [U.S.]

Quizzer

Quiz"zer (?), n. One who quizzes; a quiz.

Quizzical

Quiz"zic*al (?), a. Relating to quizzing: given to quizzing; of the nature of a quiz; farcical; sportive. -- Quiz"zic*al*ly, adv.

Quizzism

Quiz"zism (?), n. The act or habit of quizzing.

Quob

Quob (?), v. i. [Cf. Quaver.] [Written also quop and quab.] To throb; to quiver. [Local & Vulgar]

Quod

Quod (?), n. [For quad, abbrev. of quadrangle.] A quadrangle or court, as of a prison; hence, a prison. [Slang] Flogged or whipped in quod." T. Hughes.

Quod

Quod, v. Quoth; said. See Quoth. [Obs.]

Let be," quod he, it shall not be." Chaucer.

Quoddies

Quod"dies (?), n. pl. Herring taken and cured or smoked near Quoddy Head, Maine, or near the entrance of Passamaquoddy Ray.

Quodlibet

Quod"li*bet (?), n. [L., what you please.]

1. A nice point; a subtilty; a debatable point.

These are your quodlibets, but no learning. P. Fletcher.

2. (Mus.) A medley improvised by several performers.

Quodlibetarian

Quod"lib*e*ta"ri*an (?), n. One who discusses any subject at pleasure.

Quodlibetical

Quod"li*bet"ic*al (?), a. Not restricted to a particular subject; discussed for curiosity or entertainment. -- Quod`li*bet"ic*al*ly, adv.

Quoif

Quoif (?), n. & v. t. See Coif. Shak.

Quoifffure

Quoiff"fure (?), n. See Coiffure.

Quoil

Quoil (?), n. See Coil. [Obs.]

Quoin

Quoin (?), n. [See Coin, and cf. Coigne.]

1. (Arch.) Originally, a solid exterior angle, as of a building; now, commonly, one of the selected pieces of material by which the corner is marked. &hand; In stone, the quoins consist of blocks larger than those used in the rest of the building, and cut to dimension. In brickwork, quoins consist of groups or masses of brick laid together, and in a certain imitation of quoins of stone. <-- # the various "subdefs" here require the introductory part definition to be complete -->

2. A wedgelike piece of stone, wood metal, or other material, used for various purposes, as: (a) (Masonry) to support and steady a stone. (b) (Gun.) To support the breech of a cannon. (c) (Print.) To wedge or lock up a form within a chase. (d) (Naut.) To prevent casks from rolling. Hollow quoin. See under Hollow. -- Quoin post (Canals), the post of a lock gate which abuts against the wall.

Quoit

Quoit (?), n. [OE. coite; cf. OF. coitier to spur, press, (assumed) LL. coctare, fr. L. coquere, coctum, to cook, burn, vex, harass, E. cook, also W. coete a quoit.]

1. (a) A flattened ring-shaped piece of iron, to be pitched at a fixed object in play; hence, any heavy flat missile used for the same purpose, as a stone, piece of iron, etc. (b) pl. A game played with quoits. Shak.

2. The discus of the ancients. See Discus.

3. A cromlech. [Prov. Eng.] J. Morley.

Quoit

Quoit, v. i. To throw quoits; to play at quoits.

To quoit, to run, and steeds and chariots drive. Dryden.

Quoit

Quoit, v. t. To throw; to pitch. [Obs. or R.] Shak.

Quoke

Quoke (?), obs. imp. of Quake. Chaucer.

Quoll

Quoll (?), n. (Zoöl.) A marsupial of Australia (Dasyurus macrurus), about the size of a cat.

Quondam

Quon"dam (?), a. [L., formerly.] Having been formerly; former; sometime. This is the quondam king." Shak.

Quondam

Quon"dam, n. A person dismissed or ejected from a position. [R.] Make them quondams; . . . cast them out of their office." Latimer.

Quook

Quook (?), imp. of Quake. [Obs.] Spenser.

Quop

Quop (?), v. i. See Quob.

Quorum

Quo"rum (?), n. [L., of whom, gen. pl. of qui who, akin to E. who. See the Note below.] Such a number of the officers or members of any body as is competent by law or constitution to transact business; as, a quorum of the House of Representatives; a constitutional quorum was not present. &hand; The term arose from the Latin words, Quorum aliquem vestrum . . . unum esse volumus (of whom we wish some one of you to be one), which were used in the commission formerly issued to justices of the peace in England, by which commission it was directed that no business of certain kinds should be done without the presence of one or more of certain justices specially designated. Justice of the peace and of the quorum designates a class of justices of the peace in some of the United States.

Quota

Quo"ta (?), n. [LL., fr. L. quota (sc. pars), fr.quotus which or what in number, of what number, how many, fr. quot how many, akin to quis, qui, who: cf. It. quota a share. See Who.] A proportional part or share; the share or proportion assigned to each in a division. Quota of troops and money."<-- esp. a share of effort required to be performed, or a share of resources required to be obtained for some common purpose. --> Motley.

Quotable

Quot"a*ble (?), a. Capable or worthy of being quoted; as, a quotable writer; a quotable sentence. -- Quot`a*bit"i*ty (#), n. Poe.

Quotation

Quo*ta"tion (?), n. [From Quote.]

1. The act of quoting or citing.

2. That which is quoted or cited; a part of a book or writing named, repeated, or adduced as evidence or illustration. Locke.