Quartz (?), n. [G. quarz.] (Min.) A form of silica, or silicon dioxide
(SiO2), occurring in hexagonal crystals, which are commonly colorless
and transparent, but sometimes also yellow, brown, purple, green, and
of other colors; also in cryptocrystalline massive forms varying in
color and degree of transparency, being sometimes opaque.
The crystalline varieties include: amethyst, violet; citrine and false
topaz, pale yellow; rock crystal, transparent and colorless or nearly
so; rose quartz, rosecolored; smoky quartz, smoky brown. The chief
crypto-crystalline varieties are: agate, a chalcedony in layers or
clouded with different colors, including the onyx and sardonyx;
carnelian and sard, red or flesh- colored chalcedony; chalcedony,
nearly white, and waxy in luster; chrysoprase, an apple-green
chalcedony; flint, hornstone, basanite, or touchstone, brown to black
in color and compact in texture; heliotrope, green dotted with red;
jasper, opaque, red yellow, or brown, colored by iron or ferruginous
clay; prase, translucent and dull leek-green. Quartz is an essential
constituent of granite, and abounds in rocks of all ages. It forms the
rocks quartzite (quartz rock) and sandstone, and makes most of the sand
of the seashore.
Quartz*if"er*ous (?), a. [Quartz + -ferous.] (Min.) Consisting chiefly
of quartz; containing quartz.
Quartz"ite (?), n. [Cf. F. quartzite.] (Min.) Massive quartz occurring
as a rock; a metamorphosed sandstone; -- called also quartz rock.
Quartz"oid (?), n. [Quartz + - oid.] (Crystallog.) A form of crystal
common with quartz, consisting of two six-sided pyramids, base to base.
Quartz"ose` (?), a. [Cf. F. quartzeux, G. quarzig.] (Min.) Containing,
or resembling, quartz; partaking of the nature or qualities of quartz.
quartz"ous (?), a. (Min.) Quarzose.
Quartz"y (?), a. (Min.) Quartzose.
Quas (?), n. A kind of beer. Same as Quass.
{ Quas"chi (?), Quas"je (?) }, n. (Zoˆl.) The brown coati. See Coati.
Quash (?), n. Same as Squash.
Quash, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Quashing.] [OF.
quasser, F. casser, fr. L. cassare to annihilate, annul, fr. cassus
empty, vain, of uncertain origin. The word has been confused with L.
quassare to shake, F. casser to break, which is probably of different
origin. Cf. Cashier, v. t.] (Law) To abate, annul, overthrow, or make
void; as, to quash an indictment. Blackstone.
Quash, v. t. [OF. quasser, F. casser, fr. L. quassare to shake,
shatter, shiver, v. intens. fr. quatere, quassum, to shake, shatter.
Cf. Concussion, Discuss, Rescue, and also Quash to annul.] 1. To beat
down, or beat in pieces; to dash forcibly; to crush.
The whales Against sharp rocks, like reeling vessels, quashed,
Though huge as mountains, are in pieces dashed.
Waller.
2. To crush; to subdue; to suppress or extinguish summarily and
completely; as, to quash a rebellion.
Contrition is apt to quash or allay all worldly grief.
Barrow.
Quash, v. i. To be shaken, or dashed about, with noise.
Quash"ee (?), n. A negro of the West Indies.
Qua"si (?). [L.] As if; as though; as it were; in a manner sense or
degree; having some resemblance to; qualified; -- used as an adjective,
or a prefix with a noun or an adjective; as, a quasi contract, an
implied contract, an obligation which has arisen from some act, as if
from a contract; a quasi corporation, a body that has some, but not
all, of the peculiar attributes of a corporation; a quasi argument,
that which resembles, or is used as, an argument; quasi historical,
apparently historical, seeming to be historical.
Quas`i*mo"do (?), n. [So called from the first words of the Latin
introit, quasi modo geniti infantes as newborn babes, 1 Pet. ii. 2.]
(R. C. Ch.) The first Sunday after Easter; Low Sunday.
Quass (?), n. [Russ. kvas'.] A thin, sour beer, made by pouring warm
water on rye or barley meal and letting it ferment, -- much used by the
Russians. [written also quas.]
Quas*sa"tion (?), n. [L. quassatio, from quassare to shake. See Quash
to crush.] The act of shaking, or the state of being shaken. Gayton.
Quas"si*a (?), n. [NL. From the name of a negro, Quassy, or Quash, who
prescribed this article as a specific.] The wood of several tropical
American trees of the order SimarubeÊ, as Quassia amara, PicrÊna
excelsa, and Simaruba amara. It is intensely bitter, and is used in
medicine and sometimes as a substitute for hops in making beer.
Quas"sin (?), n. [Cf. F. quassine. See Quassia.] (Chem.) The bitter
principle of quassia, extracted as a white crystalline substance; --
formerly called quassite. [Written also quassin, and quassine.]
Quat (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (a) A pustule. [Obs.] (b) An
annoying, worthless person. Shak.