Quad`ru*pli*ca"tion (?), n. [L. quadruplicatio: cf. F.
quadruplication.] The act of making fourfold; a taking four times the
simple sum or amount.
Quad"ru*ply (?), adv. To a fourfold quantity; so as to be, or cause to
be, quadruple; as, to be quadruply recompensed.
||QuÊ"re (?), v. imperative. [L., imperative of quaerere to seek.]
||Inquire; question; see; - - used to signify doubt or to suggest
||investigation.
||QuÊs"tor (?), n. [L.] Same as Questor.
Quaff (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quaffed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Quaffing.]
[For quach, fr. Gael. & Ir. cuach a drinking cup; cf. L. caucus a
drinking vessel. Cf. Quaigh.] To drink with relish; to drink copiously
of; to swallow in large draughts. "Quaffed off the muscadel." Shak.
They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet Quaff immortality and
joy.
Milton.
Quaff (?), v. i. To drink largely or luxuriously.
Twelve days the gods their solemn revels keep, And quaff with
blameless Ethiops in the deep.
Dryden.
Quaff"er (?), n. One who quaffs, or drinks largely.
Quag (?), n. A quagmire. [R.] "Crooked or straight, through quags or
thorny dells." Cowper.
Quag"ga (?), n. [Hottentot.] (Zoˆl.) A South African wild ass (Equus,
or Hippotigris, quagga). The upper parts are reddish brown, becoming
paler behind and behind and beneath, with dark stripes on the face,
neck, and fore part of the body.
Quag"gy (?), a.[See Quag, Quagmire.] Of the nature of a quagmire;
yielding or trembling under the foot, as soft, wet earth; spongy;
boggy. "O'er the watery strath, or quaggy moss." Collins.
Quag"mire` (?), n. [Quake + mire.] Soft, wet, miry land, which shakes
or yields under the feet. "A spot surrounded by quagmires, which
rendered it difficult of access." Palfrey.
Syn. -- Morass; marsh; bog; swamp; fen; slough.
{ Qua"hog, Qua"haug } (?), n. [Abbrev. fr. Narragansett Indian
poqua˚hock.] (Zoˆl.) An American market clam (Venus mercenaria). It is
sold in large quantities, and is highly valued as food. Called also
round clam, and hard clam.
The name is also applied to other allied species, as Venus Mortoni of
the Gulf of Mexico.
{ Quaigh, Quaich } (?), n. [Gael. cuach. Cf. Quaff.] A small shallow
cup or drinking vessel. [Scot.] [Written also quegh.]
Quail (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Qualled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Qualling.]
[AS. cwelan to die, perish; akin to cwalu violent death, D. kwaal pain,
G. qual torment, OHG. quelan to suffer torment, Lith. gelti to hurt,
gela pain. Cf. Quell.] 1. To die; to perish; hence, to wither; to fade.
[Obs.] Spenser.
2. To become quelled; to become cast down; to sink under trial or
apprehension of danger; to lose the spirit and power of resistance; to
lose heart; to give way; to shrink; to cower.
The atheist power shall quail, and confess his fears. I. Taylor.
Stouter hearts than a woman's have quailed in this terrible winter.
Longfellow.
Syn. -- to cower; flinch; shrink; quake; tremble; blench; succumb;
yield.
Quail, v. t. [Cf. Quell.] To cause to fail in spirit or power; to
quell; to crush; to subdue. [Obs.] Spenser.
Quail, v. i. [OF. coaillier, F. cailler, from L. coagulare. See
Coagulate.] To curdle; to coagulate, as milk. [Obs.] Holland.
Quail, n. [OF. quaille, F. caille, LL. quaquila, qualia, qualea, of
Dutch or German origin; cf. D. kwakkel, kwartel, OHG. wahtala, G.
wachtel.]
1. (Zoˆl.) Any gallinaceous bird belonging to Coturnix and several
allied genera of the Old World, especially the common European quail
(C. communis), the rain quail (C. Coromandelica) of India, the stubble
quail (C. pectoralis), and the Australian swamp quail (Synoicus
australis).
2. (Zoˆl.) Any one of several American partridges belonging to Colinus,
Callipepla, and allied genera, especially the bobwhite (called Virginia
quail, and Maryland quail), and the California quail (Calipepla
Californica).
3. (Zoˆl.) Any one of numerous species of Turnix and allied genera,
native of the Old World, as the Australian painted quail (Turnix
varius). See Turnix.
4. A prostitute; -- so called because the quail was thought to be a
very amorous bird.[Obs.] Shak.
Bustard quail (Zoˆl.), a small Asiatic quail-like bird of the genus
Turnix, as T. taigoor, a black-breasted species, and the hill bustard
quail (T. ocellatus). See Turnix. -- Button quail (Zoˆl.), one of
several small Asiatic species of Turnix, as T. Sykesii, which is said
to be the smallest game bird of India. -- Mountain quail. See under
Mountain. -- Quail call, a call or pipe for alluring quails into a net
or within range. -- Quail dove (Zoˆl.), any one of several American
ground pigeons belonging to Geotrygon and allied genera. -- Quail hawk
(Zoˆl.), the New Zealand sparrow hawk (Hieracidea NovÊ-HollandiÊ). --
Quail pipe. See Quail call, above. -- Quail snipe (Zoˆl.), the
dowitcher, or red-breasted snipe; -- called also robin snipe, and brown
snipe. -- Sea quail (Zoˆl.), the turnstone. [Local, U. S.]
<! p. 1173 !>
Quail"y (?), n. [Cf. Quail the bird.] (Zoˆl.) The upland plover.
[Canadian]
Quaint (?), a. [OE. queint, queynte, coint, prudent, wise, cunning,
pretty, odd, OF. cointe cultivated, amiable, agreeable, neat, fr. L.
cognitus known, p. p. of cognoscere to know; con + noscere (for
gnoscere) to know. See Know, and cf. Acquaint, Cognition.] 1. Prudent;
wise; hence, crafty; artful; wily. [Obs.]
Clerks be full subtle and full quaint.
Chaucer.
2. Characterized by ingenuity or art; finely fashioned; skillfully
wrought; elegant; graceful; nice; neat. [Archaic] " The queynte ring."
" His queynte spear." Chaucer. " A shepherd young quaint." Chapman.
Every look was coy and wondrous quaint.
Spenser.
To show bow quaint an orator you are.
Shak.
3. Curious and fanciful; affected; odd; whimsical; antique; archaic;
singular; unusual; as, quaint architecture; a quaint expression.
Some stroke of quaint yet simple pleasantry.
Macaulay.
An old, long-faced, long-bodied servant in quaint livery.
W. Irving.
Syn. -- Quaint, Odd, Antique. Antique is applied to that which has come
down from the ancients, or which is made to imitate some ancient work
of art. Odd implies disharmony, incongruity, or unevenness. An odd
thing or person is an exception to general rules of calculation and
procedure, or expectation and common experience. In the current use of
quaint, the two ideas of odd and antique are combined, and the word is
commonly applied to that which is pleasing by reason of both these
qualities. Thus, we speak of the quaint architecture of many old
buildings in London; or a quaint expression, uniting at once the
antique and the fanciful.
Quain"tise (?), n. [OF. cointise.] 1. Craft; subtlety; cunning. [Obs.]
Chaucer. R. of Glouces.