QUACHIL'TO, noun A Brazilian fowl of the moor-hen kind, of a fine black color variegated with white. It voice resembles the crowing of a cock.

QUACK, verb intransitive

1. To cry like a duck or goose.

2. To boast; to bounce; to talk noisily and ostentatiously; as, pretenders to medical skill quack of their cures.

QUACK, noun [from the verb.]

1. A boaster; one who pretends to skill or knowledge which he does not possess.

2. A boastful pretender to medical skill which he does not possess; an empiric; an ignorant practitioner.

QUACK'ENED, adjective Almost choked or suffocated.

QUACK'ERY, noun The boastful pretensions or mean practice of an ignoramus, particularly in medicine; empiricism.

QUACK'ISH, adjective Like a quack; boasting of skill not possessed; trickish.

QUACK'ISM, noun The practice of quackery.

QUACK'LED,

QUACK'SALVER, noun

One who boasts of his skill in medicines and salves, or of the efficacy of his prescriptions; a charlatan.

QUACK'SALVER, n.

QUAD, adjective Evil; bad. [Not used.]

QUAD'RAGENE, noun [Latin quadrageni.] A papal indulgence multiplying remissions by forties.

QUADRAGES'IMA, noun [Latin quadragesimus, fortieth, from quatuor, four.]

Lent; so called because it consists of forty days.

QUADRAGES'IMAL, adjective [supra.] Belonging to Lent; used in Lent.

QUADRAGES'IMALS, noun plural [supra.] Offerings formerly made to the mother church on mid-lent Sunday.

QUAD'RANGLE, noun [Latin quadratus, square, from quatuor, four, and angulus, angle.]

In geometry, a quadrilateral figure; a square; a figure consisting of four sides and four angles.

QUADRAN'GULAR, adjective [supra.]

1. Square; having four sides and four angles.

2. In botany, having four prominent angles, as a stem or leaf.

QUAD'RANT, noun [Latin quadrans, a fourth.]

1. The fourth part; the quarter.

2. In geometry, the quarter of a circle; the arc of a circle containing ninety degrees; also, the space or area included between this arc and two radii drawn from the center to each extremity.

3. An instrument for taking the altitudes of the sun or stars, of great use in astronomy and navigation. Quadrants are variously made, but they all consist of the quarter of a circle whose limb is divided into ninety degrees; or, as in Hadley's reflecting quadrant an arc of forty five degrees is made to serve the same purpose as an arc of ninety degrees.

Quadrant of altitude, an appendage of the artificial globe, consisting of a slip of brass of the length of a quadrant of one of the great circles of the globe, and graduated. It is filled to the meridian and movable round to all points of the horizon. It serves as a scale in measuring altitudes, azimuths, etc.

QUADRANT'AL, adjective [supra.] Pertaining to a quadrant; also, included in the fourth part of a circle; as quadrantal space.

QUADRANT'AL, noun [supra.] A vessel used by the Romans; originally called amphora. It was square and contained 80 pounds of water.

QUAD'RAT, noun [Latin quadratus, squared.]

1. In printing, a piece of metal used to fill the void spaces between words, etc. Quadrats are of different sizes; as m-quadrats, etc.

2. A mathematical instrument, called also a geometrical square, and line of shadows.

QUAD'RATE, adjective

1. Square; having four equal and parallel sides.

2. Divisible into four equal parts.

3. Square; equal; exact.

4. Suited; fitted; applicable; correspondent.

QUAD'RATE, noun

1. A square; a surface with four equal and parallel sides.

2. In astrology, an aspect of the heavenly bodies, in which they are distant from each other ninety degrees, or the quarter of a circle; the same as quartile.

QUAD'RATE, verb intransitive [Latin quadro.]

To suit; to correspond; to agree with; to be accommodated; followed by with.

Aristotle's rules for epic poetry - cannot be supposed to quadrate exactly with modern heroic poems.

QUADRAT'IC, adjective Square; denoting a square or pertaining to it.

Quadratic equation, in algebra, an equation in which the unknown quantity is of two dimensions, or raised to the second power; or one in which the highest power of the unknown quantity is a square.

QUAD'RATRIX, noun

1. A square or squared figure.

2. In geometry, a mechanical line by means of which we can find right lines equal to the circumference of circles or other curves and their several parts.

QUAD'RATURE, noun [Latin quadratura.]

1. The act of squaring; the reducing of a figure to a square. Thus the finding of a square which shall contain just as much area as a circle or a triangle, is the quadrature of that circle or triangle.

2. A quadrate; a square.

3. In astronomy, the aspect of the moon when distant from the sun 90 degrees or a quarter of the circle; or when the moon is at an equal distance from the points of conjunction and opposition.

Quadrature of curves, in mathematics, the finding of rectilineal figures containing the same areas as figures bounded by curved lines.

QUAD'REL, noun In architecture, a kind of artificial stone made of chalky earth and dried in the shade for two years; so called from being square.

QUADREN'NIAL, adjective [Latin quadriennium; quadra or quadrans, from quatuor, four, and annus, year.]

1. Comprising four years; as a quadrennial period.

2. Occurring once in four years as quadrennial games.

QUADREN'NIALLY, adverb Once in four years.

QUAD'RIBLE, adjective [Latin quadro, to square.] That may be squared.

QUADRICAP'SULAR, adjective [Latin quadra and capsula.]

In botany, having four capsules to a flower; as a quadricapsular pericarp.

QUADRIDEC'IMAL, adjective [Latin quadra and decem.]

In crystallography, designating a crystal whose prism or the middle part has four faces and two summits, containing together ten faces.

QUADRIDEN'TATE, adjective [Latin quadra and dentatus, toothed.]

In botany, having four teeth on the edge.

QUAD'RIFID, adjective [Latin quadrifidus; quadra and findo, to divide.]

In botany, four-cleft, as a quadrifid perianth; cut into four segments, with linear sinuses and straight margins, as a quadrifid leaf.

QUADRIJU'GOUS, adjective [Latin quadra and jugum, yoke.]

In botany, pinnate, with four pairs of leaflets; as a quadrijugous leaf.

QUADRILAT'ERAL, adjective [Latin quadra, or quatuor, four, and latus, side.] Having four sides and four angles.

QUADRILAT'ERAL, noun A figure having four sides and four angles; a quadrangular figure.

QUADRILAT'ERALNESS, noun The property of having four right lined sides, forming as many right angles.

QUADRILIT'ERAL, adjective [Latin quadra, or quatuor, four, and litera, letter.]

Consisting of four letters.

QUADRILLE, noun quadril', or cadril'.

1. A game played by four persons with 40 cards, being the remainder of the pack after the four tens, nines and eights are discarded.

2. A kind of dance.

QUAD'RILOBATE,

QUAD'RILOBED, adjective [Latin quadra, or quatuor, four, and lobe, Gr.]

In botany, having four lobes; as a quadrilobed leaf.

QUAD'RILOBED, a. [L. quadra, or quatuor, four, and lobe, Gr.]

QUADRILOC'ULAR, adjective [Latin quadra, quatuor, and loculus, a cell.]

Having four cells; four-celled; as a quadrilocular pericarp.

QUAD'RIN, noun [Latin quadrinus.] A mite; a small piece of money, in value about a farthing. [Not in use.]

QUADRINO'MIAL, adjective [Latin quadra, quatuor, and nomen, name.]

Consisting of four denominations or terms.

QUADRIP'ARTITE, adjective [Latin quadra, quatuor, and partitus, divided.]

Divided into four parts, or consisting of four corresponding parts.

QUADRIP'ARTITELY, adverb In four divisions; in a quadripartite distribution.

QUADRIPARTI'TION, noun A division by four or into four parts; or the taking the fourth part of any quantity or number.

QUADRIPH'YLLOUS, adjective [Latin quadra, quatuor, four, and Gr. leaf.] Having four leaves.

QUAD'RIREME, noun [Latin quadriremis; quatuor, four, and remus, oar.]

A galley with four benches of oars or rowers.

QUADRISYL'LABLE, noun [Latin quadra, quatuor, and syllable.] A word consisting of four syllables.

QUAD'RIVALVE,

QUAD'RIVALVES, noun plural [Latin quadra, quatuor, and valva, valve.] A door with four folds or leaves.

QUAD'RIVALVES, n. plu. [L. quadra, quatuor, and valva, valve.] A door with four folds or leaves.

QUADRIVALV'ULAR, adjective In botany, having four valves; four-valved; as a quadrivalve pericarp.

QUADRIV'IAL, adjective [Latin quadrivium; quatuor, four, and via, way.] Having four ways meeting in a point.

QUADROON', noun [Latin quadra, quatuor.] In Spanish America, the offspring of a mulatto woman by a white man; a person quarter-blooded.

QUAD'RUMAN, noun [Latin quadra and manus, hand.]

An animal having four hands or limbs that correspond to the hands of a man, as a monkey.

QUAD'RUMANOUS, adjective Having four hands; four-handed.

QUAD'RUNE, noun A gritstone with a calcarious cement.

QUAD'RUPED, adjective [Latin quadrupes; quadra, quatuor, four, and pes, foot.] Having four legs and feet.

QUAD'RUPED, noun An animal having four legs and feet, as a horse, an ox, a lion, etc.

QUAD'RUPLE, adjective [Latin quadruplus; quadra, quatuor, and plico, to fold.]

Fourfold; four times told; as, to make quadruple restitution for trespass or theft.

QUAD'RUPLE, noun Four times the sum or number; as, to receive quadruple the amount in damages or profits.

QUADRU'PLICATE, adjective Fourfold; four times repeated; as a quadruplicate ratio or proportion.

QUADRU'PLICATE, verb transitive [Latin quadruplico; quatuor and plico, to fold.] To make fourfold; to double twice.

QUADRUPLICA'TION, noun The act of making fourfold and taking four times the simple sum or amount.

QUAD'RUPLY, adverb To a fourfold quantity; as, to be quadruply recompensed.

QUAERE, [Latin] Inquire; better written query, which see.

QUAESTOR. [See Questor.]

QU'AFF, verb transitive

To drink; to swallow in large draughts.

He quaffs the muscadel.

They in communion sweet quaff immortality and joy.

QU'AFF, verb intransitive To drink largely or luxuriously.

QU'AFFED, participle passive Drank; swallowed in large draughts.

QU'AFFER, noun One that quaffs or drinks largely.

QU'AFFER, verb transitive To feel out. [Not in use.]

QU'AFFING, participle present tense Drinking; swallowing draughts.

QUAG'GY, adjective [supposed to be from the root of quake.]

Yielding to the feet or trembling under the foot, as soft wet earth.

QUAG'MIRE, noun [that is, quake-mire.] Soft wet land, which has a surface firm enough to bear a person, but which shakes or yields under the feet.

QUAHAUG, noun quaw'hog. In New England, the popular name of a large species of clams or bivalvular shells. [This name is probably derived from the natives.]

QUAID, adjective or participle passive [for quailed.] Crushed, subdued, or depressed. [Not used.]

QUAIL, verb intransitive [Quail, in English, signifies to sink or languish, to curdle, and to crush or quell.]

1. To sink into dejection; to languish; to fail in spirits. [Little used.]

2. To fade; to wither. obsolete

QUAIL, verb intransitive

To curdle; to coagulate; as milk.

QUAIL, verb transitive To crush; to depress; to sink; to subdue. [This orthography is obsolete. The word is now written quell.]

QUAIL, noun

A bird of the genus Tetrao or grouse kind, or according to Latham's arrangement, of the genus Perdix, in which he comprehends the partridge and quail In New England, the name is applied to a peculiar species of the perdix, which is called partridge in the middle states, but it is neither the partridge nor quail of Europe.

QUA'ILING, participle present tense Failing; languishing. obsolete

QUA'ILING, noun The act of failing in spirit or resolution; decay. obsolete

QUAINT, adjective [The latter word would lead us to refer quaint to the Latin accinctus, ready, but Skinner thinks it more probably from comptus, neat, well dressed.]

1. Nice; scrupulously and superfluously exact; having petty elegance; as a quaint phrase; a quaint fashion.

To show how quaint an orator you are.

2. Subtle; artful. obsolete

3. Fine-spun; artfully framed.

4. Affected; as quaint fopperies.

5. In common use, odd; fanciful; singular; and so used by Chaucer.

QUA'INTLY, adverb

1. Nicely; exactly; with petty neatness or spruceness; as hair more quaintly curled.

2. Artfully.

Breathe his faults so quaintly

3. Ingeniously; with dexterity.

I quaintly stole a kiss.

QUA'INTNESS, noun

1. Niceness; petty neatness or elegance.

There is a majesty in simplicity, which is far above the quaintness of wit.

2. Oddness; peculiarity.

QUAKE, verb intransitive

1. To shake; to tremble; to be agitated with quick but short motions continually repeated; to shudder. Thus we say, a person quakes with fear or terror, or with cold. Hebrews 12:21.

2. To shake with violent convulsions, as well as with trembling; as, the earth quakes; the mountains quake Nahum 1:5.

3. To shake, tremble or move, as the earth under the feet; as the quaking mud.

QUAKE, verb transitive To frighten; to throw into agitation. [Not used.]

QUAKE, noun A shake; a trembling; a shudder; a tremulous agitation.

QUA'KER, noun One that quakes; but usually, one of the religious sect called friends. This name, quakers, is said to have been given to the sect in reproach, an account of some agitations which distinguished them; but it is no longer appropriated to them by way of reproach.

QUA'KERISM, noun The peculiar manners, tenets or worship of the quakers.

QUA'KERLY, adjective Resembling quakers.

QUA'KERY, noun Quakerism.

QUA'KING, participle present tense Shaking; trembling.

QUA'KING, noun A shaking; tremulous agitation; trepidation.

Daniel 10:7.

QUAL'IFIABLE, adjective [from qualify.] That may be qualified; that may be abated or modified.

QUALIFICA'TION, noun

1. Any natural endowment or any acquirement which fits a person for a place, office or employment, or enables him to sustain any character with success. Integrity and talents should be considered as indispensable qualifications for men entrusted with public affairs; but private interest and party-spirit will often dispense with these and all other qualifications.

There is no qualification for government but virtue and wisdom, actual or presumptive.

2. Legal power or requisite; as the qualifications of electors.

3. Abatement; diminution.

4. Modification; restriction; limitation. words or expressions may be used in a general sense, without any qualification

QUAL'IFIED, participle passive Fitted by accomplishments or endowments; modified.

Qualified fee, in law, a base fee, or an estate which has a qualification annexed to it, and which ceases with the qualification, as a grant to A and his heirs, tenants of the manor of Dale.

Qualified negative, in legislation, the power of negativing bills which have passed the two houses of the legislature; a power vested in the president, governor or other officer, but subject to be overruled and defeated by a subsequent vote of the two houses, passed in conformity with the provisions of the constitution.

Qualified property, is that which depends on temporary possession, as that in wild animals reclaimed.

QUAL'IFIEDNESS, noun The state of being qualified or fitted.

QUAL'IFIER, noun He or that which qualifies; that which modifies, reduces, tempers or restrains.

QUAL'IFY, verb transitive [Latin qualis, such, and facio, to make.]

1. To fit for any place, office, occupation or character; to furnish with the knowledge, skill or other accomplishment necessary for a purpose; as, to qualify a man for a judge, for a minister of state or of the gospel, for a general or admiral. Holiness alone can qualify men for the society of holy beings.

2. To make capable of any employment or privilege; to furnish with legal power or capacity; as, in England, to qualify a man to kill game.

3. To abate; to soften; to diminish; as, to qualify the rigor of a statute.

I do no seek to quench your love's hot fire, but qualify the fire's extreme rage.

4. To ease; to assuage.

5. To modify; to restrain; to limit by exceptions; as, to qualify words or expressions, or to qualify the sense of words or phrases.

6. To modify; to regulate; to vary; as, to qualify sounds.

QUAL'IFYING, participle present tense Furnishing with the necessary qualities, properties or accomplishments for a place, station or business; furnishing with legal power; abating; tempering; modifying; restraining.

QUAL'ITY, noun [Latin qualitas, from qualis, such.]

1. Property; that which belongs to a body or substance, or can be predicated of it. Qualities are natural or accidental. thus whiteness is a natural quality of snow; softness is a natural quality of wool and fur; hardness is a natural quality of metals and wood; figure and dimension are the natural qualities of solids; but a particular figure, as a cube, a square or a sphere, is an accidental or adventitious quality The fluidity of metals is an accidental quality Essential qualities are such as are necessary to constitute a thing what it is. Sensible qualities are such as are perceptible to the senses, as the light of the sun, the color of cloth, the taste of salt or sugar, etc.

2. Nature, relatively considered; as the quality of an action, in regard to right and wrong.

Other creatures have not judgment to examine the quality of that which is done by them.

3. Virtue or particular power of producing certain effects; as the qualities of plants or medicines.

4. Disposition; temper.

Tonight we'll wander through the streets, and note the qualities of people.

5. Virtue or vice; as good qualities, or bad qualities.

6. Acquirement; accomplishment; as the qualities of horsemanship, dancing and fencing.

7. Character.

The attorney partakes of both qualities, that of a judge of the court, and that of attorney general.

8. Comparative rank; condition in relation to others; as people of every quality

We obtained acquaintance with many citizens, not of the meanest quality

9. Superior rank; superiority of birth or station; as persons of quality; ladies of quality

10. Persons of high rank, collectively.

I shall appear at the masquerade dressed up in my feathers, that the quality may see how pretty they will look in their traveling habits.

QU'ALM, noun quam.

1. A rising in the stomach, as it is commonly called; a fit of nausea, or a disposition or effort of the stomach to eject its contents.

2. A sudden fit or seizure of sickness at the stomach; a sensation of nausea; as qualms of heart-sickagony.

For who, without a qualm hath ever look'd on holy garbage, though by Homer cook'd?

3. A scruple of conscience, or uneasiness of conscience.

QU'ALMISH, adjective quamish. [supra.] Sick at the stomach; inclined to vomit; affected with nausea or sicklylanguor.

QU'ALMISHNESS, noun Nausea.

QUAM'OCLIT, noun A plant of the genus Ipomoea.

QUAN'DARY, noun Doubt; uncertainty; a state of difficulty or perplexity.

QUAN'DARY, verb transitive To bring into a state of uncertainty or difficulty. [Not used.]

QUAN'TITATIVE, adjective [See Quantity.] Estimable according to quantity.

QUAN'TITIVE, adjective [See Quantity.] Estimable according to quantity.

QUAN'TITY, noun [Latin quantitas, from quantus, how much, or as much as.]

1. That property of any thing which may be increased or diminished.

This definition is defective, and as applicable to many other properties as to quantity A definition strictly philosophical cannot be given. In common usage, quantity is a mass or collection of matter of indeterminate dimensions, but consisting of particles which cannot be distinguished, or which are not customarily distinguished, or which are considered in the aggregate. Thus we say, a quantity of earth, a quantity of water, a quantity of air, of light, of heat, of iron, of wood, of timber, of corn, of paper. But we do not say, a quantity of men, or of horses, or of houses; for as these are considered as separate individuals or beings, we call an assemblage of them, a number of multitude.

2. An indefinite extent of space.

3. A portion or part.

If I were sawed into quantities. [Not in use.]

4. a large portion; as a medicine taken in quantities, that is, in large quantities.

5. In mathematics, any thing which can be multiplied, divided or measured.

Thus mathematics is called the science of quantity In algebra, quantities are known and unknown. Known quantities are usually represented by the first letters of the alphabet, as a, b, c, and unknown quantities are expressed by the last letters, x, y, z, etc. Letters thus used to represent quantities are themselves called quantities. A simple quantity is expressed by one term, as + a, or - abc; a compound is expressed by more terms than one, connected by the signs, + plus, or -minus, as a + b, or a - b + c. quantities which have the sign + prefixed, are called positive or affirmative; those which have the sign - prefixed are called negative.

6. In grammar, the measure of a sullable; that which determines the time in which it is pronounced.

7. In logic, a category, universal, or predicament; a general conception.

8. In music, the relative duration of a note or syllable.

Quantity of matter, in a body, is the measure arising from the joint consideration of its magnitude and density.

Quantity of motion, in a body, is the measure arising from the joint consideration of its quantity of matter and its velocity.

QUAN'TUM, noun [Latin] The quantity; the amount.

Quantum meruit, in law, an action grounded on a promise that the defendant would pay to the plaintiff for his service as much as he should deserve.

Quantum valebat, an action to recover of the defendant for goods sold, as much as they were worth.

QUAR'ANTINE, noun [Latin quartus, fourth; Eng. quart. See Quart and Square.]

1. Properly, the space of forty days; appropriately, the term of forty days during which a ship arriving in port and suspected of being infected with a malignant, contagious disease, is obliged to forbear all intercourse with the city or place. Hence,

2. Restraint of intercourse to which a ship is subjected on the presumption that she may be infected, either for forty days or for any other limited term. It is customary for the proper officers to determine the period of restraint at their discretion, according to circumstances. Hence we hear of a quarantine of five days, of ten, of thirty, etc. as well as of forty. We say, a ship performs quarantine or rides at quarantine We also apply the word to persons. The passengers and crew perform quarantine

3. In law, the period of forty days, during which the widow of a man dying seized of land, has the privilege of remaining to the mansion house.

QUARANTINE, verb transitive To prohibit from intercourse with a city or its inhabitants; to compel to remain at a distance from shore for forty days, or for other limited period, on account of real or supposed infection; applied to ships, or to persons and goods.

QUARANTINED, participle passive Restrained from communication with the shore for a limited period; as a ship or its crew and passengers.

QUARANTINING, participle present tense Prohibiting from intercourse with the port; as a ship or its crew and passengers.

QUARRE, for quarry, not in use.

QUAR'REL, noun [Latin queror, to complain, that is, to cry out with a loud voice. Hence we see the primary sense is the same as brawl. The Latin queror coincides in elements with to call, to bawl, to shout, and gearan, a complaint. Heb.

1. A brawl; a petty fight or scuffle; from its noise and uproar.

2. A dispute; a contest.

On open seas their quarrels they debate.

3. A breach of friendship or concord; open variance between parties.

4. Cause of dispute.

The king's quarrel is honorable.

5. Something that gives a right to mischief, reprisal or action.

He thought he had a good quarrel to attack him. [Not used.]

6. Objection; ill will, or reason to complain; ground of objection or dispute.

Herodias had a quarrel against him. Mark 6:19.

7. Something peevish, malicious, or disposed to make trouble. [Not used.]

QUAR'REL, noun

1. An arrow with a square head. [Not used unless in poetry.]

2. A pane of glass; a square. [See Quarry and Square.]

QUAR'REL, verb intransitive

1. To dispute violently or with loud and angry words; to wrangle; to scold. How odious to see husband and wife quarrel!

2. To fight; to scuffle; to contend; to squabble; used of two persons or of a small number. It is never used of armies and navies in combat. Children and servants often quarrel about trifles. Tavern-haunters sometimes quarrel over their cups.

3. To fall into variance.

Our people quarrel with obedience.

4. To find fault; to cavil.

I will not quarrel with a slight mistake.

Men at enmity with their God, quarreling with his attributes - quarreling with the being that made them, and who is constantly doing them good.

5. To disagree; to be at variance; not to be in accordance in form or essence.

Some things arise of strange and quarr'ling kind, the forepart lion, and a snake behind.

QUAR'REL, verb transitive

1. To quarrel with.

2. To compel by a quarrel; as, to quarrel a man out of his estate or rights.

QUAR'RELER, noun One who quarrels, wrangles or fights.

QUAR'RELING, participle present tense Disputing with vehemence or loud angry words; scolding; wrangling; fighting; finding fault; disagreeing.

QUAR'RELING, noun [supra.] Contention; dispute in angry words; breach of concord; a caviling or finding fault; disagreement.

QUAR'RELOUS, adjective Apt or disposed to quarrel; petulant; easily provoked to enmity or contention. [Little used.]

QUAR'RELSOME, adjective Apt to quarrel; given to brawls and contention; inclined to petty fighting; easily irritated or provoked to contest; irascible; choleric; petulant.

QUAR'RELSOMELY, adverb In a quarrelsome manner; with a quarrelsome temper; petulantly.

QUAR'RELSOMENESS, noun Disposition to engage in contention and brawls; petulance.

QUAR'RIED, participle passive Dug from a pit or cavern.

QUAR'RY, noun

1. A square; as a quarry of glass. [Not in use.]

2. An arrow with a square head. [See Quarrel. Not in use.]

3. In falconry, the game which a hawk is pursuing or has killed. [Perhaps from Latin quaero.]

4. Among hunters, a part of the entrails of the beast taken, given to the hounds.

QUAR'RY, noun [I know not whether the original sense of this word was a pit or mine, from digging, or whether the sense was a place for squaring stone. Latin curro. If the sense was a pit, it may be referred to the Heb.]

1. A place, cavern or pit where stones are dug from the earth, or separated from a large mass of rocks. We generally apply the word mine to the pit from which are taken metals and coal; from quarries are taken stones for building, as marble, freestone, slate, etc.

2. In Paris, the quarries are a vast cavern under the city, several miles in extent.

QUAR'RY, verb intransitive To prey upon, as a vulture or harpy. [A low word and not much used.]

QUAR'RY, verb transitive To dig or take from a quarry; as, to quarry marble.

QUAR'RYING, participle present tense Digging stones from a quarry.

QUAR'RYMAN, noun A man who is occupied in quarrying stones.

QUART, noun quort. [Latin quartus.]

1. The fourth part; a quarter. [Not in use.]

2. The fourth part of a gallon; two pints.

3. A vessel containing the fourth of a gallon.

4. A sequence of four cards in the game of picket.

QUARTAN, quort'an. [Latin quartanus, the fourth.]

Designating the fourth; occurring every fourth day; as a quartan ague or fever.

QUART'AN, noun

1. An intermitting ague that occurs every fourth day, or with intermissions of seventy two hours.

2. A measure containing the fourth part of some other measure.

QUARTA'TION, noun In chimistry and metallurgy, the operation by which the quantity of one thing is made equal to the fourth part of another thing.

QUARTER, noun quort'er. [Latin quartus, the fourth part.]

1. The fourth part; as the quarter of an hour or of a mile; one quarter of the expense. Living is a quarter dearer in the city than in the country.

2. In weight, the fourth part of a hundred pounds avoirdupois, or of 112lb., that is, 28lb.; as a quarter of sugar.

3. In dry measure, the fourth of a ton in weight, or eight bushels; as a quarter of wheat.

4. In astronomy, the fourth part of the moon's period or monthly revolution; as the first quarter after the change or full.

5. A region in the hemisphere or great circle; primarily, one of the four cardinal points; as the four quarters of the globe; but used indifferently for any region or point of compass. From what quarter does the wind blow? Hence,

6. A particular region of a town, city or country; as all quarters of the city; in every quarter of the country or of the continent. Hence.

7. Usually in the plural, quarters, the place of lodging or temporary residence; appropriately, the place where officers and soldiers lodge, but applied to the lodgings of any temporary resident. He called on the general at his quarters; the place furnished good winter quarters for the troops. I saw the stranger at his quarters.

8. Proper station.

Swift to their several quarters hasten then -

Bacon uses the word in the singular. 'Make love keep quarter '

9. On board of ships, quarters signifies the stations or places where the officers and men are posted in action. Pipe all hands to quarters.

10. In military affairs, the remission or sparing of the life of a captive or an enemy when in one's power; mercy granted by a conqueror to his enemy, when no longer able to defend himself. In desperate encounters, men will sometimes neither ask nor give quarter The barbarous practice of giving no quarter to soldiers in a fortress taken by assault, is nearly obsolete.

He magnified his own clemency, now they were at his mercy, to offer them quarter for their lives, if they would give up the castle.

Lambs at the mercy of wolves much expect no quarter

11. Treatment shown to an enemy; indulgence.

To the young, if you give tolerable quarter you indulge them in idleness and ruin them. [Rarely used.]

12. Friendship; amity; concord. [Not in use.]

13. In the slaughter house, one limb of a quadruped with the adjoining parts; or one fourth part of the carcase of a quadruped, including a limb; as a fore quarter or hind quarter

14. In the menage, the quarters of a horse's foot are the sides of the coffin, between the toe and the heel. False quarters are a cleft in the horn of the hoof, extending from the coronet to the shoe, or from top to bottom. When for any disorder, one of the quarters is cut, the horse is said to be quarter-cast.

15. In a siege, quarters are the encampment on one of the principal passages round the place besieged, to prevent relief and intercept convoys.

16. In seminaries of learning, a fourth part of the year, or three months. Tuition and board at twenty five dollars the quarter This is a moderate quarter bill.

17. The quarter of a ship, is the part of a ship's side which lies towards the stern, or the part between the aftmost end of the main-chains and the sides of the stern, where it is terminated by the quarter-pieces.

18. In heraldry, one of the parts or members of the first division of a coat that is divided into four parts.

On the quarter in seamen's language, is a point in the horizon considerably abaft the beam, but not in the direction of the stern.

QUARTER-bill, among seamen, is a list containing the different stations where the officers and crew are to take post in time of action, and the names of the men assigned to each.

QUARTER-cloths, long pieces of painted canvas, extended on the outside of the quarter-netting from the upper part of the gallery to the gangway.

QUARTER-deck, that part of the deck of a ship which extends from the stern to the mainmast. But in some kinds of vessels, the quarter-deck does not extend to the mainmast, but is raised above the main deck.

QUARTER-gallery, a sort of balcony on the quarters of a ship.

QUARTER-railing, narrow molded planks, reaching from the top of the stern to the gangway, serving as a fence to the quarter-deck.

QUARTER-master, in an army, an officer whose business is to attend to the quarters for the soldiers, their provisions, fuel, forage, etc.; in the navy, an officer who assists the mates in their duties, in stowing the hold, coiling the cables, attending the steerage, and keeping time by the watch glasses.

QUARTER-master-general, in military affairs, is an officer whose duty is to mark the marches and encampments of an army, the head-quarters, the place for the artillery, and procure supplies of provisions and forage, etc.

1. Quarter-staff, a long staff borne by foresters and park-keepers, as a badge of office and a weapon.

2. A staff of defense.

QUARTER-sessions, in England, a general court held quarterly by the justices of peace of each county, with jurisdiction to try and determine felonies and trespasses; but capital offenses are seldom or never tried in this court.

QUARTER-round, in architecture, the echinus or ovolo.

Head-quarters, the tent or mansion of the commander in chief of an army.

QUART'ER, verb transitive

1. To divide into four equal parts.

2. To divide; to separate into parts.

3. To divide into distinct regions or compartments.

The sailors quarter'd heaven.

4. To station soldiers for lodging; as, to quarter troops in the city or among the inhabitants, or on the inhabitants.

5. To lodge; to fix on a temporary dwelling.

They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd.

6. To diet. [Not in use.]

7. To bear as an appendage to the hereditary arms.

The coat of Beauchamp - quartered by the earl of Hertford.

QUART'ER, verb intransitive To lodge; to have a temporary residence. The general quarters at a hotel in Church street.

QUART'ERAGE, noun A quarterly allowance.

QUART'ERED, participle passive Divided into four equal parts or quarters; separated into distinct parts; lodged; stationed for lodging.

QUART'ERING, participle present tense Dividing into quarters or into distinct parts; stationing for lodgings.

QUART'ERING, noun

1. A station.

2. Assignment of quarters for soldiers.

3. The division of a shield containing many coats.

QUART'ERLY, adjective

1. Containing or consisting of a fourth part; as quarterly seasons.

2. Recurring at the end of each quarter of the year; as quarterly payments of rent; a quarterly visitation or examination. The secretary requires quarterly returns from his officers.

QUART'ERLY, adverb Once in a quarter of a year. The returns are made quarterly

QUART'ERN, noun The fourth part of a pint; a gill.

QUART'ILE, noun An aspect of the planets, when they are distant from each other a quarter of the circle, ninety degrees, or three signs.

QUART'O, noun [Latin quartus.] A book of the size of the fourth of a sheet; a size made by twice folding a sheet, which then makes four leaves.

QUART'O, adjective Denoting the size of a book in which a sheet makes four leaves.

QUARTZ, noun quortz. A species of silicious minerals, of various colors, white, gray, reddish, yellowish or brownish; commonly amorphous, and frequently crystallized. The subspecies and varieties are numerous.

QUARTZ'Y, adjective Pertaining to quartz; partaking of the nature or qualities of quartz; resembling quartz. [Quartzy is the regular adjective, and quartzose and quartzous may be dispensed with.]

QUAS, noun In Russia, a drink of common domestic use; being a liquor prepared from pollard, meal and bread, or from meal and malt, by an acid fermentation.

QUASH, verb transitive [Latin quasso, quatio.]

1. Properly, to beat down or beat in pieces; to crush.

The whales against sharp rocks, like reeling vessels, quash'd.

2. To crush; to subdue; as, to quash a rebellion.

3. In law, to abate, annul, overthrow or make void; as, to quash an indictment. He pays judgment of the writ or declaration that the same may be quashed.

QUASH, verb intransitive To be shaken with a noise.

QUASH, noun A species of cucurbita; but in America pronounced squash; so called probably from it softness. [See the Verb.]

QUASH'ED, participle passive Crushed; subdued; abated.

QUASH'ING, participle present tense Crushing; subduing; abating.

QUASSA'TION, noun [Latin quassatio.] The act of shaking; concussion; the state of being shaken.

QUAS'SIA, noun A plant, or rather a genus of plants of three species, the amara, simaruba, and excelsa or polygama, natives of South America and of some of the isles of the West Indies, and possessing valuable medicinal qualities.

QUAT, noun A pustule or pimple. [Not used.]

QUAT'ERN, adjective [Latin quaterni, four, from quatuor, four.]

Consisting of four; fourfold; growing by fours; as quatern leaves.

QUATERN'ARY, noun [Latin quaternarius, from quatuor, four.]

The number four.

QUATERN'ARY, adjective Consisting of four.

QUATERN'ION, noun [Latin quaternio, from quatuor, four.]

1. The number four.

2. A file of four soldiers. Acts 12:4.

QUATERN'ION, verb transitive To divide into files or companies.

QUATERN'ITY, noun [supra.] The number four.

QUAT'RAIN, noun [Latin quatror, four.]

A stanza of four lines rhyming alternately.

QUAVE, for quaver, is not used.

QUAVEMIRE, for quagmire, is not used.

QUA'VER, verb intransitive

1. To shake the voice; to utter or form sound with rapid vibrations, as in singing; to sing with tremulous modulations of voice.

2. To tremble; to vibrate.

The finger - moved with a quavering motion.

QUA'VER, noun

1. A shake or rapid vibration of the voice, or a shake on an instrument of music.

2. A note and measure of time in music, equal to half a crotchet or the eighth of a semibreve.

QUA'VERED, adjective or participle passive Distributed into quavers.

QUA'VERER, noun A warbler.

QUA'VERING, participle present tense Shaking the voice or the sound of an instrument.

QUA'VERING, noun The act of shaking the voice, or of making rapid vibrations of sound on an instrument of music.

QUAY, noun ke.

A key; a mole or wharf, constructed in harbors for securing vessels and receiving goods unladen or to be shipped on board.

QUAY, verb transitive To furnish with quays.

QUEACH, noun A thick bushy plot. obsolete

QUEACH, verb intransitive To stir; to move. obsolete [See Quick.]

QUE'ACHY, adjective [from queach.]

1. Shaking; moving, yielding or trembling under the feet, as moist or boggy ground.

The queachy fens.

Godwin's queachy sands.

[This word is still in use in New England, and if the word is from the root of quick, we recognize the application of it in quicksand.]

2. Thick; bushy. [Not in use.]

QUEAN, noun

A worthless woman; a slut; a strumpet. [Not in common use.]

QUE'ASINESS, noun s as z. [from queasy.] Nausea; qualmishness; inclination to vomit.

QUE'ASY, adjective s as z.

1. Sick at the stomach; affected with nausea; inclined to vomit.

2. Fastidious; squeamish; delicate.

3. Causing nausea; as a queasy question.

QUECK, verb intransitive

To shrink; to flinch. obsolete

QUEEN, noun

1. The consort of a king; a queen consort.

2. A woman who is the sovereign of a kingdom; a queen-regent; as Elizabeth, queen of England; Mary, queen of Scotland.

3. The sovereign of a swarm of bees, or the female of the hive.

A hive of bees cannot subsist without a queen

QUEEN of the meadows, meadow sweet, a plant of the genus Spiraea.

QUEEN, verb intransitive To play the queen; to act the part or character of a queen

QUEE'NING, noun An apple.

QUEE'NLIKE, adjective Resembling a queen.

QUEE'NLY, adjective Like a queen; becoming a queen; suitable to a queen.

QUEER, adjective

Odd; singular; hence, whimsical.

QUEE'RLY, adverb In an odd or singular manner.

QUEE'RNESS, noun Oddity; singularity; particularity. [A familiar, not an elegant word.]

QUEEST, noun A ring dove, a species of pigeon.

QUEINT, preterit tense and participle passive of quench.

QUELL, verb transitive

1. To crush; to subdue; to cause to cease; as, to quell an insurrection or sedition.

2. To quiet; to allay; to reduce to peace; as, to quell the tumult of the soul.

3. To subdue; to reduce.

This quell'd her pride.

QUELL, verb intransitive To die; to abate.

QUELL, noun Murder. [Not in use.]

QUELL'ED, participle passive Crushed; subdued; quieted.

QUELL'ER, noun One that crushes or subdues.

QUELL'ING, participle present tense Crushing; subduing; reducing to peace.

QUEME, verb transitive To please. obsolete

QUENCH, verb transitive

1. To extinguish; to put out; as, to quench flame.

2. To still; to quiet; to repress; as, to quench a passion or emotion.

3. To allay or extinguish; as, to quench thirst.

4. To destroy.

5. To check; to stifle; as, to quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:19.

QUENCH, verb intransitive To cool; to become cool.

Dost thou think, in time she will not quench? [Not in use.]

QUENCH'ABLE, adjective That may be quenched or extinguished.

QUENCH'ED, participle passive Extinguished; allayed; repressed.

QUENCH'ER, noun He or that which extinguishes.

QUENCH'ING, participle present tense Extinguishing; quieting; stifling; repressing.

QUENCH'LESS, adjective That cannot be quenched or repressed; inextinguishable; as quenchless fire or fury.

QUER'CITRON, noun [Latin quercus, an oak.] The bark of the yellow oak, used in dyeing.

QUER'ELE, noun [Latin querla.] A complaint to a court. [Not in use.]

QUE'RENT, noun [Latin querens, queror, to complain.]

The complainant; the plaintiff. [Not in use.]

QUE'RENT, noun [Latin quaerens, quaero, to inquire.]

To inquirer. [Not much used.]

QUERIMO'NIOUS, adjective [Latin querimonia, complaint, from queror.]

Complaining; querulous; apt to complain.

QUERIMO'NIOUSLY, adverb With complaint; querulously.

QUERIMO'NIOUSNESS, noun Disposition to complain; a complaining temper.

QUE'RIST, noun [from Latin quaero, to inquire.] One who inquires or asks questions.

QUERK. [See Quirk.]

QUERK'ENED, adjective Choked. [Illegitimate and obsolete.]

QUERL, verb transitive To twirl; to turn or wind round; to coil; as, to querl a cord, thread or rope. [This is a legitimate English word, in common use in New England. It may be a dialectical variation of whirl and twirl.]

QUERN, noun

A hand-mill for grinding grain; a mill, the stone of which was turned by hand, used before the invention of windmills and watermills.

QUERP'O, noun [Latin corpus.]

A waistcoat or garment close to the body.

QUER'QUEDULE, noun [Latin querquedula.] An aquatic fowl, a species of teal of the genus Anas.

QUER'RY, noun A groom. [See Equerry.]

QUER'ULOUS, adjective [Latin querulus, from queror, to complain. See Quarrel.]

1. Complaining or habitually complaining; disposed to murmur; as a querulous man or people.

2. Expressing complaint; as a querulous tone of voice.

QUER'ULOUSLY, adverb In a complaining manner.

QUER'ULOUSNESS, noun Disposition to complain, or the habit or practice of murmuring.

QUE'RY, noun [from Latin quaere, imperative of quaero; perhaps Heb. to seek, to search, to inquire.]

A question; an inquiry to be answered or resolved.

I will conclude by proposing some queries.

QUE'RY, verb intransitive To ask a question or questions.

Three Cambridge sophs each prompt to query answer and debate.

QUE'RY, verb transitive

1. To seek; to inquire; as, query the sum or amount; query the motive or the fact.

2. To examine by questions.

3. To doubt of.

QUEST, noun [Latin quaero, quaestus. As the letter r is rarely changed into s, perhaps the Latin quaesivi, quaestus, may be from the root of quaeso.]

1. The act of seeking; search; as, to rove in quest of game; to go in quest of a lost child; in quest of property, etc.

2. Inquest; a jury. [Not used.]

3. Searchers, collectively. [Not used.]

4. Inquiry; examination. [Not used.]

5. Request; desire; solicitation.

Gad not abroad at every quest and call of an untrain'd hope or passion.

QUEST, verb intransitive To go in search. [Not used.]

QUEST, verb transitive To search or seek for.

QUEST'ANT, noun [supra.] A seeker. [Not used.]

QUESTION, noun ques'chun. [Latin quaestio. See Quest.]

1. The act of asking; an interrogatory; as, to examine by question and answer.

2. That which is asked; something proposed which is to be solved by answer. What is the question?

3. Inquiry; disquisition; discussion.

It is to be put to question whether it is lawful for christian princes to make an invasive war, simply for the propagation of the faith.

4. Dispute or subject of debate.

There arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews, about purifying. John 3:25.

5. Doubt; controversy; dispute. The story is true beyond all question

This does not bring their truth in question

6. Trial; examination; judicial trial or inquiry.

Of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question Acts 23:6. Acts 24:21.

7. Examination by torture.

8. Endeavor; effort; act of seeking. [Not in use.]

9. In logic, a proposition stated by way of interrogation.

In question in debate; in the course of examination or discussion; as, the matter or point in question

QUES'TION, verb intransitive

1. To ask a question or questions; to inquire by interrogatory or proposition to be answered.

He that questioneth much, shall learn much.

2. To debate by interrogatories.

QUES'TION, verb transitive

1. To inquire of by asking questions; to examine by interrogatories; as, to question a witness.

2. To doubt of; to be uncertain of.

And most we question what we most desire.

3. To have no confidence in; to treat as doubtful. If a man is frustrated in his designs, his prudence is questions.

QUES'TIONABLE, adjective

1. That may be questioned; doubtful; uncertain; disputable. the deed is of questionable authority.

It is questionable whether Galen ever saw the dissection of a human body.

2. Suspicious; liable to be doubted or disputed; liable to suspicion. His veracity is questionable

Thou com'st in such a questionable shape, that I will speak to thee.

QUES'TIONABLENESS, noun The quality or state of being doubtful, questionable or suspicious.

QUES'TIONARY, adjective Inquiring; asking questions; as questionary epistles.

QUES'TIONED, participle passive

1. Interrogated; examined by questions.

2. Doubted; disputed.

QUES'TIONER, noun One that asks questions; an inquirer.

QUES'TIONING, participle present tense Interrogating; calling in question; doubting.

QUES'TIONIST, noun A questioner; an inquirer.

QUES'TIONLESS, adverb Beyond a question or doubt; doubtless; certainly.

QUEST'MAN

QUEST'MONGER, noun A starter of lawsuits or prosecutions. [Not used.]

QUEST'MONGER, n. A starter of lawsuits or prosecutions. [Not used.]

QUES'TOR, noun [Latin quaestor. See Quest and Query.]

In Roman antiquity, an officer who had the management of the public treasure; the receiver of taxes, tribute, etc.

QUES'TORSHIP, noun

1. The office of a questor or Roman treasurer.

2. The term of a questor's office.

QUES'TRIST, noun A seeker; a pursuer. [Not in use.]

QUES'TUARY, adjective Studious of profit.

QUES'TUARY, noun One employed to collect profits.

QUEUE. [See Cue.]

QUIB, noun

A sarcasm; a bitter taunt; a quip; a gibe.

QUIB'BLE, noun

1. A start or turn from the point in question, or from plain truth; an evasion; a cavil; a pretense; as, to answer a sound argument by quibbles.

Quirks and quibbles have no place in the search after truth.

2. A pun; a low conceit.

QUIB'BLE, verb intransitive

1. To evade the point in question, or plain truth, by artifice, play upon words, caviling or any conceit; to trifle in argument or discourse.

2. To pun.

QUIB'BLER, noun

1. One who evades plain truth by trifling artifices, play upon words, or cavils.

2. A punster.

QUICK, verb intransitive

To stir; to move. [Not in use.]

QUICK, adjective [If q is a dialectical prefix, as I suppose, this word coincides with the Latin vigeo, vegeo, and vig, veg, radical, coincide with wag.]

1. Primarily, alive; living; opposed to dead or unanimated; as quick flesh. Leviticus 13:10.

The Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead. 2 Timothy 4:1.

[In this sense, the word is obsolete, except in some compounds or in particular phrases.]

2. Swift; hasty; done with celerity; as quick dispatch.

3. Speedy; done or occurring in a short time; as a quick return of profits.

Oft he to her his charge of quick return repeated.

4. Active; brisk; nimble; prompt ready. He is remarkably quick in his motions. He is a man of quick parts.

5. Moving with rapidity or celerity; as quick time in music.

QUICK with child, pregnant with a living child.

QUICK, adverb

1. Nimbly; with celerity; rapidly; with haste; speedily; without delay; as, run quick; be quick

If we consider how very quick the actions of the mind are performed.

2. Soon; in a short time; without delay. Go, and return quick

QUICK, noun

1. A living animal. obsolete

2. The living flesh; sensible parts; as penetrating to the quick; stung to the quick; cut to the quick

3. Living shrubs or trees; as a ditch or bank set with quick

QUICK, verb transitive To revive; to make alive. obsolete

QUICK, verb intransitive To become alive. obsolete

QUICKEN, verb transitive quik'n.

1. Primarily, to make alive; to vivify; to revive or resuscitate, as from death or an inanimate state. Romans 4:17.

Hence flocks and herds, and men and beasts and fowls, with breath are quicken'd and attract their souls.

2. To make alive in a spiritual sense; to communicate a principle of grace to.

You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1.

3. To hasten; to accelerate; as, to quicken motion, speed or flight.

4. To sharpen; to give keener perception to; to stimulate; to incite; as, to quicken the appetite or taste; to quicken desires.

5. To revive; to cheer; to reinvigorate; to refresh by new supplies of comfort or grace. Psalms 119:25.

QUICKEN, verb intransitive quik'n.

1. To become alive.

The heart is the first part that quickens, and the last that dies.

2. To move with rapidity or activity.

And keener lightning quickens in her eye.

QUICK'ENED, participle passive

1. Made alive; revived; vivified; reinvigorated.

2. Accelerated; hastened.

3. Stimulated; incited.

QUICK'ENER, noun

1. One who revives, vivifies, or communicates life.

2. That which reinvigorates.

3. That which accelerates motion or increases activity.

QUICK'ENING, participle present tense Giving life; accelerating; inciting.

QUICK'-EYED, adjective Having acute sight; of keen and ready perception.

QUICK'LIME, noun [See Lime.] Any calcarious substance deprived of its fixed or carbonic air, or an earthy substance calcined; as chalk, limestone, oyster-shells, etc.; unslaked lime. Calcarious stones and shells are reduced to quicklime by being subjected for a considerable time to intense heat, which expels the carbonic and aqeuous matter.

QUICK'LY, adverb

1. Speedily; with haste or celerity.

2. Soon; without delay.

QUICK'NESS, noun

1. Speed; velocity; celerity; rapidity; as the quickness of motion.

2. Activity; briskness; promptness, as the quickness of the imagination or wit.

3. Acuteness of perception; keep sensibility; as quickness of sensation.

4. Sharpness; pungency.

QUICK'SAND, noun

1. Sand easily moved or readily yielding to pressure, loose sand abounding with water.

2. Unsolid ground.

QUICK'SCENTED, adjective Having an acute perception by the nose; of an acute smell.

QUICK'SET, noun A living plant set to grow, particularly for a hedge.

QUICK'SET, verb transitive To plant with living shrubs or trees for a hedge or fence; as, to quickset a ditch.

QUICK'SIGHTEDNESS, noun Quickness of sight or discernment; readiness to see or discern.

QUICK'SILVER, noun [that is, living silver, argentum vivum, so called from its fluidity.]

Mercury, a metal found both native and in the state of ore, in mines, in various parts of the world, and so remarkably fusible as to be congealable only with the intense cold indicated by 39 degrees or 40 degrees below zero, on Fahrenheit's thermometer. It is the heaviest of the metals, next to platina and gold. It is used in various arts and in medicine.

QUICK'SILVERED, adjective Overlaid with quicksilver.

QUICK'-WITTED, adjective Having ready wit.

QUID, noun A vulgar pronunciation of cud; as a quid of tobacco.

QUI'DAM, noun [Latin] Somebody. [Not in use.]

QUID'DANY, noun [Latin cydonium.]

Marmalade; a confection of quinces prepared with sugar.

QUID'DATIVE, adjective Constituting the essence of a thing.

QUID'DIT, noun [Latin quidlibet.] A subtilty; an equivocation. [Not in use.]

QUID'DITY, noun [Latin quid, what.]

1. A barbarous term used in school philosophy for essence, that unknown and undefinable something which constitutes its peculiar nature, or answers the question, quidest? The essence of a thing constitutes it tale quid, such a thing as it is, and not another.

2. A trifling nicety; a cavil; a captious question.

QUID'NUNC, noun [Latin what now.] One who is curious to know every thing that passes; one who knows or pretends to know all occurrences.

Quid pro quo, [Latin] in law, an equivalent; something given or done for another thing; mutual consideration and performance.

QUIESCE, verb intransitive quiess'. [Latin quiesco.] To be silent, as a letter; to have no sound.

QUIES'CENCE,

QUIES'CENCY, noun [Latin quiescens, quiesco. See quiet.]

1. Rest; repose; state of a thing without motion.

2. Rest of the mind; a state of the mind free from agitation or emotion.

3. Silence; the having no sound; as of a letter.

QUIES'CENCY, n. [L. quiescens, quiesco. See quiet.]

QUIES'CENT, adjective [Latin quiescens.]

1. Resting being in a state of repose; still: not moving; as a quiescent body or fluid.

2. Not ruffled with passion; unagitated; as the mind.

3. Silent; not sounded; having no sound; as a quiescent letter. Sow mow, with w quiescent; say, day, with y quiescent

QUIES'CENT, noun A silent letter.

QUI'ET, adjective [Latin quietus.]

1. Still; being in a state of rest; now moving. Judges 16:2.

2. Still; free from alarm or disturbance; unmolested; as a quiet life.

In his days the land was quiet ten years. 2 Chronicles 14:1.

3. Peaceable; not turbulent; not giving offense; not exciting controversy, disorder or trouble; mild; meek; contented.

The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. 1 Peter 3:4.

1 Thessalonians 4:11.

4. Calm; not agitated by wind; as a quiet sea or atmosphere.

5. Smooth; unruffled.

6. Undisturbed; unmolested; as the quiet possession or enjoyment of an estate.

7. Not crying; not restless; as a quiet child.

QUI'ET, noun [Latin quies.]

1. Rest; repose; stillness; the state of a thing not in motion.

2. Tranquility; freedom from disturbance or alarm; civil or political repose. Our country enjoys quiet

3. Peace; security. Judges 18:7.

QUI'ET, verb transitive

1. To stop motion; to still; to reduce to a state of rest; as, to quiet corporeal motion.

2. To calm; to appease; to pacify; to lull; to tranquilize; as, to quiet the soul when agitated; to quiet the passions; to quiet the clamors of a nation; to quiet the disorders of a city or town.

3. To allay; to suppress; as, to quiet pain or grief.

QUI'ETED, participle passive Made still; calmed; pacified.

QUI'ETER, noun The person or thing that quiets.

QUI'ETING, participle present tense Reducing to rest or stillness; appeasing; tranquilizing.

QUI'ETISM, noun Peace or tranquility of mind; apathy; dispassion; indisturbance; inaction. In history, quietism is the system of the quietists, who maintained that religion consists in the internal rest or recollection of the mind, employed in contemplating God and submitting to his will.

QUI'ETIST, noun One of a sect of mystics, originated by Molino, a Spanish priest, who maintained the principles of quietism.

QUI'ETLY, adverb

1. In a quiet state; without motion; in a state of rest; as, to lie or sit quietly

2. Without tumult, alarm, dispute or disturbance; peaceably; as, to live quietly

3. Calmly; without agitation or violent emotion; patiently. submit quietly to unavoidable evils.

QUI'ETNESS, noun

1. A state of rest; stillness.

2. Calm; tranquility; as the quietness of the ocean or atmosphere.

3. Freedom from agitation or emotion; calmness; coolness; as the quietness of the mind.

4. Freedom from disturbance, disorder or commotion; peace; tranquility; as the quietness of a city or state.

QUI'ETSOME, adjective Calm; still; undisturbed. [Not in use.]

QUI'ETUDE, noun Rest; repose; quiet; tranquility.

QUIE'TUS, noun [Latin] Rest; repose; death; hence, a final discharge or acquittance; that which silences claims.

QUILL, noun [Latin calamus.]

1. The large strong feather of a goose or other large fowl; used much for writing pens. Hence,

2. The instrument of writing; as the proper subject of his quill

3. The spine or prickle of a porcupine.

4. A piece of small reed or other hollow plant, or which weavers wind the thread which forms the woof of cloth.

5. The instrument with which musicians strike the strings of certain instruments.

To carry a good quill to write well.

QUILL, verb transitive To plait, or to form with small ridges like quills or reeds; as a woolen stuff quilled.

[In the United States, this word is generally, if not universally, pronounced twilled.]

QUIL'LET, noun [Latin quidlibet, what you please.]

Subtilty; nicety; fraudulent distinction; petty cant. [Not much used.]

QUILT, noun [Latin culcita.]

A cover or garment made by putting wool, cotton or other substance between two cloths and sewing them together; as beds covered with magnificent quilts.

QUILT, verb transitive

1. To stitch together two pieces of cloth with some soft and warm substance between them; as a quilted bedcover; a quilted coat.

2. To sew in the manner of a quilt

QUILT'ED, participle passive Stitched together, as two pieces of cloth, with a soft substance between them.

QUILT'ING, participle present tense Stitching together, as two cloths, with some soft substance between them.

QUILT'ING, noun

1. The act of forming a quilt.

2. In New England, the act of quilting by a collection of females who bestow their labor gratuitously to aid a female friend, and conclude with an entertainment.

QUI'NARY, adjective [Latin quinarius, from quinque, five.] Consisting of five.] Consisting of five; as a quinary number.

QUI'NATE, adjective [from Latin quinque.] In botany, a quinate leaf is a sort of digitate leaf having five leaflets on a petiole.

QUINCE, noun quins. [Latin cydonius.]

The fruit of the Pyrus cydonia, so named from Cydonia, a town of Crete, famous for abounding with this fruit. One species of this fruit is of an oblong shape, from which probably it has its French name.

QUINCH, verb intransitive [probably a vulgar pronunciation of wince or winch.] To stir, wince or flounce. [Not in use.]

QUINCUN'CIAL, adjective [from Latin quincunx.] Having the form of a quincunx.

QUIN'CUNX, noun [Latin composed of quinque, five, and uncia, ounce.]

In gardening, the quincunx order is a plantation of trees disposed in a square, consisting of five trees, one at each corner and a fifth in the middle, thus : .: ; which order repeated indefinitely, forms a regular grove or wood, which viewed by an angle of the square or parallelogram, presents equal or parallel alleys.

QUINDEC'AGON, noun [Latin quinque, five Gr. ten, and angle.]

In geometry, a plain figure with fifteen sides and fifteen angles.

QUINDEC'EMVIR, noun [Latin quinque, five, decem, ten, and vir, man.]

In Roman history, one of a collection or body of fifteen magistrates, whose business was to preside over the sacrifices.

QUINDECEM'VIRATE, noun The body of fifteen magistrates, of their office.

QUIN'IA,

QUIN'INE, noun In pharmacy, a substance prepared from yellow bark possessing in a concentrated form, the tonic virtues of the bark, and capable of forming salts with acids. One of these, the sulphate of quinine, is much employed in intermittent fevers and other diseases, where powerful tonics are required.

QUINQUAGES'IMA, noun [Latin fifty.] quinquagesima Sunday, so called as being about the fiftieth day before Easter; Shrove Sunday.

QUINQUAN'GULAR, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and angulus, angle.]

Having five angles or corners.

QUINQUARTIC'ULAR, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and articulus, article.]

Consisting of five articles. [Little used.]

QUINQUECAP'SULAR, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and capsula, a little chest.]

In botany, having five capsules to a flower; as a quinquecapsular pericarp.

QUINQUEDEN'TATE, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and dentatus, toothed; dens, tooth.] In botany, five-toothed.

QUINQUEFA'RIOUS, adjective [Latin quinque, five. Eng. to fare, or from the root of vary.] In botany, opening into five parts.

QUIN'QUEFID, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and findo, to split.]

In botany, five-cleft; cut into five segments with linear sinuses and straight margins; as a leaf.

QUINQUEFO'LIATED, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and folium, leaf.] having five leaves.

QUINQUELIT'ERAL, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and litera, letter.]

Consisting of five letters.

QUIN'QUELOBATE,

QUIN'QUELOBED, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and lobus, lobe.]

Five-lobed; divided to the middle into five distinct parts with convex margins.

QUIN'QUELOBED, a. [L. quinque, five, and lobus, lobe.]

QUINQUELOC'ULAR, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and loculus, a cell.]

Five-celled; having five cells; as a pericarp.

QUINQUEN'NIAL, adjective [Latin quinquennalis, quinquennis; quinque, five, and annus, year.] Occurring once in five years, or lasting five years.

QUINQUEP'ARTITE, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and partitus, divided.]

1. Divided into five parts almost to the base.

2. Consisting of two parts.

QUIN'QUEREME, noun [Latin quinque, five, and remus, oar.]

A galley having five seats or rows of oars.

QUIN'QUEVALVE,

QUINQUEVALV'ULAR, adjective [Latin quinque, five, and valve, valves.] Having five valves, as a pericarp.

QUINQUEVALV'ULAR, a. [L. quinque, five, and valve, valves.] Having five valves, as a pericarp.

QUIN'QUEVIR, noun [Latin quinque, five, and vir, man.] One of an order of five priests in Rome.

QUIN'SY, noun s as z.

1. An inflammation of the throat; a species of angina which renders respiration difficult, or intercepts it.

2. An inflammation of the fauces, particularly of the tonsils.

QUINT, noun [from Latin quintus, fifth.] A set of sequence of five; as in piquet.

QUINT'AIN, noun A post with a turning top.

QUINT'AL, noun [Latin centum, a hundred.]

A hundred pounds in weight; or a weight of that number of pounds; sometimes written and pronounced kentle.

QUINTES'SENCE, noun [Latin quinta essentia, fifth essence.]

1. In alchimy, the fifth or last and highest essence of power in a natural body. Hence,

2. An extract from any thing, containing its virtues or most essential part in a small quantity.

Let there be light, said God; and forthwith light etherial, first of things, quintessence pure, sprung from the deep.

3. In chimistry, a preparation consisting of the essential oil of a vegetable substance, mixed and incorporated with spirit of wine.

4. The pure essential part of a thing.

[I have followed Bailey and Ash and our general usage in the accentuation of this word. Jameson has done the same. The accent on the first syllable is very unnatural.]

QUINTESSEN'TIAL, adjective Consisting of quintessence.

QUINT'ILE, noun [Latin quintus, fifth.] The aspect of planets when distant from each other the fifth part of the zodiac, or 72 degrees.

QUINT'IN, noun

An upright post on the top of which turned a cross piece, on one end of which was fixed a broad board, and on the other a sand bag. The play was to tilt on ride against the broad end with a lance, and pass without being struck by the sand bag behind.

QUINT'UPLE, adjective [Latin quintuplus, fivefold; quintus and plico.]

Fivefold; containing five times the amount.

QUIP, noun

A smart sarcastic turn; a taunt; a severe retort.

QUIP, verb transitive To taunt; to treat with a sarcastic retort.

QUIP, verb intransitive To scoff.

QUIRE, noun [Latin chorus; Gr.]

1. A body of singers; a chorus. [See Chorus and Choir.]

2. The part of a church where the service is sung.

QUIRE, noun

A collection of paper consisting of twenty four sheets, each having a single fold.

QUIRE, verb intransitive To sing in concert or chorus.

QUIR'ISTER, noun One that sings in concert; more generally, the leader of a quire, particularly in divine service; a chorister. But in America, this word is little used and vulgar. The word used is chorister.

QUIRITA'TION, noun [Latin quirtatio, from quirito, from queror.] A crying for help. [Not used.]

QUIRK, noun quurk.

1. Literally, a turn; a starting from the point or line; hence, an artful turn for evasion or subterfuge; a shift; a quibble; as the quirks of a pettifogger.

2. A fit or turn; a short paroxysm; as a quirk of joy or grief.

3. A smart taunt or retort.

I may chance to have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me.

4. A slight conceit or quibble.

5. A flight of fancy. [Not in use.]

6. An irregular air; as light quirks of music.

7. In building, a piece of ground taken out of any regular ground-plot or floor, as to mark a court or yard, etc.

QUIRK'ISH, adjective

1. Consisting of quirks, turns, quibbles or artful evasions.

2. Resembling a quirk.

QUIRP'ELE, noun The Indian ferret, an animal of the weasel kind.

QUIT, verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive quit or quitted. [Latin cedo. The sense of quit is to leave, to withdraw from; but the primary sense of the root must have been to move or to send; for to requite is to send back.]

1. To leave; to depart from, either temporarily or forever. It does not necessarily include the idea of abandoning, without a qualifying word. A man quits his house for an hour, or for a month. He quits his native country on a voyage or he quits it forever; he quits an employment with the intention of resuming it.

2. To free; to clear; to liberate; to discharge from.

To quit you of this fear, you have already looked death in the face. [Nearly obsolete.]

3. To carry through; to do or perform something to the end, so that nothing remains; to discharge or perform completely.

Never a worthy prince a day did quit with greater hazard and with more renown.

4. To quit one's self, reciprocally, to clear one's self of incumbent duties by full performance.

Samson hath quit himself like Samson.

In this sense, acquit is generally used.

5. To repay; to requite.

- Enkindle all the sparks of nature to quit this horrid act.

In this sense, quit is now rarely used. We use requite.

6. To vacate obligation; to release; to free from

Dangers of law, actions, decrees, judgments against us quitted.

7. To pay; to discharge; hence, to free from; as, to quit the debt of gratitude.

8. To set free; to release; to absolve; to acquit.

Guiltless I quit guilty I set them free. In this sense, acquit is now used.

9. To leave; to give up; to resign; to relinquish; as, to quit an office.

10. To pay.

Before that judge that quits each soul his hire. [Not used.]

11. To forsake; to abandon.

Such a superficial way of examining is to quit truth for appearance.

To quit cost, to pay; to free from by an equivalent; to reimburse; as, the cultivation of barren land will not always quit cost.

To quit scores, to make even; to clear mutually from demands by mutual equivalents given. We will quit scores [marks of charges] before we part.

Does not the earth quit scores with all the elements in her noble fruits?

QUIT, adjective Free; clear; discharged from; absolved.

The owner of the ox shall be quit Exodus 21:19. [This word, though primarily a participle, and never placed before its noun, has properly the sense of an adjective.]

Qui tam, [Latin] A qui tam action, in law, is a popular action, in which a man prosecutes an offender for the king or state, as well as for himself.

QUIT'CLAIM, verb transitive [quit and claim.] To release a claim by deed without covenants of warranty; to convey to another who hath some right in lands or tenements, all one's right, title and interest in the estate, by relinquishing all claim to them. The words used in the instrument are, 'A hath remised, released and forever quitclaimed all his right, title and interest to a certain estate.'

QUIT'CLAIM, noun A deed of release; an instrument by which all claims to an estate are relinquished to another without any covenant or warranty, express or implied.

QUIT'CLAIMED, participle passive Released by deed.

QUIT'CLAIMING. participle passive Conveying by deed of release.

QUITE, adverb [from quit; that is, primarily, free or clear by complete performance.]

Completely; wholly; entirely; totally; perfectly. The work is not quite done; the object is quite accomplished.

He hath sold us and quite devoured also our money. Genesis 31:15.

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

QUIT'-RENT, noun [Latin quietus reditus.] A rent reserved in grants of land, by the payment of which the tenant is quieted or quit from all other service.

QUITS, adverb [from quit.] An exclamation used when mutual demands are adjusted and the parties are even, each quit of the other.

QUIT'TAL, noun Return; repayment.

QUIT'TANCE, noun

1. Discharge from a debt or obligation; an acquittance. [See Acquittance, which is chiefly used.]

2. Recompense; return; repayment.

QUIT'TANCE, verb transitive To repay. [Not in use.]

QUIT'TED, participle passive Left; relinquished; acquitted.

QUIT'TER. noun

1. One who quits.

2. A deliverer. [Not in use.]

3. Scoria of tin.

QUIV'ER, noun

A case or sheath for arrows.

Take the quiver and thy bow. Genesis 27:3.

QUIV'ER, adjective Nimble; active. [Not in use.]

QUIV'ER, verb intransitive

1. To shake or tremble; to quake; to shudder; to shiver. This word expresses that tremulous motion of the body which proceeds from loss of heat or vigor. Thus persons quiver with fear or with cold.

He quiver'd with his feet and lay for dead.

And left the limbs still quiv'ring on the ground.

2. To play or be agitated with a tremulous motion.

The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind.

The lakes that quiver to the curling breeze.

QUIV'ERED, adjective [from the noun quiver.]

1. Furnished with a quiver; as the quivered nymph.

2. Sheathed as in a quiver.

- Whose quills stand quivered at his ear.

QUIV'ERING, participle present tense Trembling, as with cold or fear; moving with a tremulous agitation.

QUIV'ERING, noun The act of shaking or trembling; agitation; as, to be seized with a quivering

QUIXOT'IC, adjective Like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance.

QUIX'OTISM, noun Romantic and absurd notions; schemes or actions like those of Don Quixote, the hero of Cervantes.

QUIZ, noun An enigma; a riddle or obscure question.

QUIZ, verb transitive To puzzle. [A popular, but not an elegant word.]

Quo Warranto, in Law Latin, a writ brought before a proper tribunal, to inquire by what warrant a person or corporation exercises certain powers.

QUOB, verb intransitive To move, as the fetus in utero; to throb. [Local, vulgar, and little used.]

QUOD'LIBET, noun [Latin what you please.] A nice point; a subtilty.

QUODLIBETA'RIAN, noun One who talks and disputes on any subject at pleasure.

QUODLIBET'ICAL, adjective Not restrained to a particular subject; moved or discussed at pleasure for curiosity or entertainment.

QUODLIBET'ICALLY, adverb At pleasure; for curiosity; so as to be debated for entertainment.

QUOIF, noun A cap or hood. [See Coif.]

QUOIF, verb transitive To cover or dress with a coif. [This word may be discarded with advantage.]

QUOIF'FURE, noun A head dress.

QUOIL. [See Coil, the better word.]

QUOIN, noun [See Coin].

1. A corner.

2. An instrument to raise any thing; a wedge employed to raise cannon to a proper level, and for other purposes.

3. In architecture, the corner of a brick or stone wall.

QUOIT, noun

1. A kind of horse shoe to be pitched or thrown at a fixed object in play. In common practice, a plain flat stone is used for this purpose.

2. In some authors, the discus of the ancients, thrown in trials of strength.

QUOIT, verb intransitive To throw quoits; to play at quoits.

QUOIT, verb transitive To throw. [Not used.]

QUOLL, noun An animal of New Holland, resembling the polecat.

QUON'DAM, used adjectively. [Latin] Having been formerly; former; as a quondam king or friend.

QUOOK, preterit tense of quake. obsolete

QUO'RUM, noun [Latin gen. plural of qui, who.]

1. A bench of justices, or such a number of officers or members as is competent by law or constitution to transact business; as a quorum of the house of representatives. A constitutional quorum was not present.

2. A special commission of justices.

QUO'TA, noun [Latin quotus.]

A just part or share; or the share, part or proportion assigned to each. Each state was ordered to furnish its quota of troops.

QUOTA'TION, noun [from quote.]

1. The act of quoting or citing.

2. The passage quoted or cited; the part of a book or writing named, repeated or adduced as evidence or illustration.

3. In mercantile language, the naming of the price of commodities; or the price specified to a correspondent.

4. Quota; share. [Not used.]

QUOTE, verb transitive

1. To cite, as a passage from some author; to name, repeat or adduce a passage from an author or speaker, by way of authority or illustration; as, to quote a passage from Homer; to quote the words of Peter, or a passage of Paul's writings; to quote chapter and verse.

2. In commerce, to name, as the price of an article.

3. To note.

QUOTE, noun A note upon an author. obsolete

QUO'TED, participle passive Cited; adduced; named.

QUO'TER, noun One that cites the words of an author or speaker.

QUOTH, verb intransitive [Latin inquio, contracted.]

To say; to speak. This verb is defective, being used only in the first and third persons in the present and past tenses, as quoth I, quoth he, and the nominative always follows the verb. It is used only in ludicrous language, and has no variation for person, number or tense.

QUOTID'IAN, adjective [Latin quotidianus; quotus and dies.] Daily; occurring or returning daily; as a quotidian fever.

QUOTID'IAN, noun

1. A fever whose paroxysms return every day.

2. Any thing returning daily.

QUO'TIENT, noun [Latin quoties, how often.]

In arithmetic, the number resulting from the division of one number by another, and showing how often a less number is contained in a greater. Thus 3)12(4. Here 4 is the quotient showing that 3 is contained 4 times in 12. Or quotient is an expression denoting a certain part of a unit; as 3/4.