Quin"tain (?), n. [F. quintaine, LL. quintana; cf. W. chwintan a kind
of hymeneal game.] An object to be tilted at; -- called also quintel.
[Written also quintin.]
A common form in the Middle Ages was an upright post, on the top of
which turned a crosspiece, having on one end a broad board, and on the
other a sand bag. The endeavor was to strike the board with the lance
while riding under, and get away without being hit by the sand bag.
"But a quintain, a mere lifeless block." Shak.
Quin"tal (?), n. [F., fr. Sp. quintal, fr. Ar. qintar a weight of 100
lbs., prob. fr. L. centenarius consisting of a hundred, fr. centeni a
hundred each, fr. centum a hundred. See Hundred, and cf. Kentle.] 1. A
hundredweight, either 112 or 100 pounds, according to the scale used.
Cf. Cental. [Sometimes written and pronounced kentle.]
2. A metric measure of weight, being 100,000 grams, or 100 kilograms,
equal to 220.46 pounds avoirdupois.
Quin"tan (?), a. [L. quintanus, fr. quintus fifth, quinque five. See
Five.] Occurring as the fifth, after four others also, occurring every
fifth day, reckoning inclusively; as, a quintan fever. -- n. (Med.) An
intermittent fever which returns every fifth day, reckoning
inclusively, or in which the intermission lasts three days.
Quin"tel (?), n. See Quintain.
Quin*tes"sence (?), n. [F., fr. L. quinta essentia fifth essence. See
Quint, and Essence.] 1. The fifth or last and highest essence or power
in a natural body. See Ferment oils, under Ferment. [Obs.]
The ancient Greeks recognized four elements, fire, air, water, and
earth. The Pythagoreans added a fifth and called it nether, the fifth
essence, which they said flew upward at creation and out of it the
stars were made. The alchemists sometimes considered alcohol, or the
ferment oils, as the fifth essence.
2. Hence: An extract from anything, containing its rarest virtue, or
most subtle and essential constituent in a small quantity; pure or
concentrated essence.
Let there be light, said God; and forthwith light Ethereal, first
of things, quintessence pure, Sprung from the deep.
Milton.
Quin*tes"sence, v. t. To distil or extract as a quintessence; to reduce
to a quintessence. [R.] Stirling. "Truth quintessenced and raised to
the highest power." J. A. Symonds.
Quin`tes*sen"tial (?), a. Of the nature of a quintessence; purest.
"Quintessential extract of mediocrity." G. Eliot.
{ Quin*tet", Quin*tette" } (?), n. [It. quintetto, dim. of quinto the
fifth, a fifth part, from L. quintus the fifth: cf. F. quintette. See
Quint.] (Mus.) A composition for five voices or instruments; also, the
set of five persons who sing or play five-part music.
Quin"tic (?), a. [L. quintus fifth, fr. quinque five.] (Alg.) Of the
fifth degree or order. -- n. (Alg.) A quantic of the fifth degree. See
Quantic.
Quin"tile (?), n. [F. quintil aspect, fr. L. quintus the fifth.]
(Astron.) The aspect of planets when separated the fifth part of the
zodiac, or 72∞. Hutton.
Quin*till"lion (?), n. [Formed fr. L. quintus the fifth, after the
analogy of million: cf. F. quintillion. See Quint.] According to the
French notation, which is used on the Continent and in America, the
cube of a million, or a unit with eighteen ciphers annexed; according
to the English notation, a number produced by involving a million to
the fifth power, or a unit with thirty ciphers annexed. See the Note
under Numeration.
Quin"tin (?), n. See Quintain.
Quin"tine (?), n. [L. quintus the fifth: cf. F. quintine.] (Bot.) The
embryonic sac of an ovule, sometimes regarded as an innermost fifth
integument. Cf. Quartine, and Tercine.
Quin"tole (?), n. [It. quinto fifth.] (Mus.) A group of five notes to
be played or sung in the time of four of the same species.
Quin"tu*ple (?), a. [L. quintus fifth: cf. F. quintuple, L. quintuplex.
Cf. Quadruple.] Multiplied by five; increased to five times the amount;
fivefold.
Quintuple time (Mus.), a time having five beats in a measure. It is
seldom used.
Quin"tu*ple, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quintupled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Quintupling.] [Cf. F. quintupler.] To make fivefold, or five times as
much or many.
{ Quit"tu*ple-nerved` (?), Quin"tu*ple-ribbed` (?), } a. (Bot.) The
same as Quinquenerved.
Quin"zaine (?), n. [F., from quinze fifteen, L. quindecim. See
Fifteen.] The fifteenth day after a feast day, including both in the
reckoning. [Written also quinzain.]
Quinze (?), n. [F.] A game at cards in which the object is to make
fifteen points.
Quip (?), n. [Cf. W. chwip a quick flirt or turn, chwipio to whip, to
move briskly, and E. whip. Cf. Quib, Quibble.] A smart, sarcastic turn
or jest; a taunt; a severe retort; a gibe.
Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles.
Milton.
He was full of joke and jest, But all his merry quips are o'er.
Tennyson.
Quip, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Quipping (?).]
To taunt; to treat with quips.
The more he laughs, and does her closely quip.
Spenser.
Quip, v. i. To scoff; to use taunts. Sir H. Sidney.
Qui"po (?), n. Same as Quipu.
||Qui"pu (?), n.; pl. Quipus (#). [Peruv. quipu a knot.] A contrivance
||employed by the ancient Peruvians, Mexicans, etc., as a substitute
||for writing and figures, consisting of a main cord, from which hung
||at certain distances smaller cords of various colors, each having a
||special meaning, as silver, gold, corn, soldiers. etc. Single,
||double, and triple knots were tied in the smaller cords, representing
||definite numbers. It was chiefly used for arithmetical purposes, and
||to register important facts and events. [Written also quipo.] Tylor.
The mysterious science of the quipus . . . supplied the Peruvians
with the means of communicating their ideas to one another, and of
transmitting them to future generations.
Prescott.
Quir"boil*ly` (kwr"boi*l`), n. [OE. cuir bouilli.] Leather softened by
boiling so as to take any required shape. Upon drying, it becomes
exceedingly hard, and hence was formerly used for armor. [Obs.] "His
jambeux were of quyrboilly." Chaucer.
Quire (kwr), n. See Choir. [Obs.] Spenser.
A quire of such enticing birds.
Shak.
Quire, v. i. To sing in concert. [R.] Shak.
<! p. 1180 pr=vmg !>
Quire (kwr), n. [OE. quaer, quair, OF. quayer, cayer, caÔer, 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.
Quir"is*ter (kwr"s*tr), n. [See Quire, Chorister.] A chorister. See
Chorister. [R.] Thomson.
Quir`i*ta"tion (kwr`*t"shn), n. [L. quiritatio, fr. quiritare to raise
a plaintive cry, v. freq. fr. queri to complain.] A crying for help.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Qui"rite (kw"rt), n. One of the Quirites.
||Qui*ri"tes (kw*r"tz), n. pl. [L., fr. Cures, a Sabine town.] (Rom.
||Antiq.) Roman citizens.
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 (kwrk), 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.