Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Quid, n. p. 1075A portion suitable to be chewed; a cud.Quid, v. t. p. 1075(Man.) To suffer to drop from the mouth, as hay or other food when partially chewed;—said of horses. Youatt.Qui'dam p. 1075Somebody; one unknown.Quid'da-ny, n. p. 1075A confection of quinces, in consistency between a sirup and marmalade. Dunton.Quid'da-tive, a. p. 1076Constituting the essence of a thing; quidditative.Quid'dit, n. p. 1076A subtility; an equivocation. [Obs.] Shak.Quid'di-tā'tive, a. p. 1076Constituting or containing the essence of a thing.Quid'di-ty, n. p. 1076The essence or nature of a thing; that which constitutes the peculiar nature of any thing, or answers the question, Quid est? or, What is it? “The quiddity or characteristic difference of poetry as…Quĭd'dle, v. i. p. 1076To spend or waste time in trifling employments, or to attend to useful subjects in a trifling, superficial manner; to dawdle.Quid'dle or Quid'dler, n. p. 1076One who spends time in trifling niceties.Quid'nŭnc, n. p. 1076One who is curious to know every thing that passes; one who knows, or pretends to know, all occurrences. “The idle stories of quidnuncs.” Motley.Qui-ēsçe', v. i. p. 1076To be silent, as a letter; to have no sound. M. Stuart.Qui-ēs'çence or Qui-ēs'çen-cy, n. p. 1076The state or quality of being quiescent; absence of motion; rest; repose. 2. Rest of the mind; a state of the mind free from agitation or emotion. 3. (Gram.) Silence; the having no sound, as of a…Qui-ēs'cent, a. p. 1076Being in a state of repose; still; not moving; as, a quiescent body or fluid. 2. Not ruffled with passion; unagitated; not in action; not excited; quiet; dormant. In times of national security, the…Qui-ēs'cent, n. p. 1076(Gram.) A silent letter. M. Stuart.Qui-ēs'cent-ly, adv. p. 1076In a quiescent manner; calmly; quietly.Qui'et, a. p. 1076Being in a state of rest; not moving; without stir, motion, or agitation. They ... were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. Judg. xvi. 2. 2. Free from…Qui'et, n. p. 1076The state of a thing not in motion; rest; repose. 2. Freedom from disturbance or alarm; tranquillity; peace; security. And join with thee, calm Peace and Quiet. Milton. At quiet, still; peaceful.—In…Qui'et, v. t. p. 1076To stop motion in; to still; to reduce to a state of rest; as, to quiet corporeal motion. 2. To calm; to appease; to pacify; to lull; to allay; to tranquillize; as, to quiet the passions; to quiet…Qui'et-er, n. p. 1076One who, or that which, quiets.Qui'et-ism, n. p. 1076Peace or tranquillity of mind; apathy; dispassion; indisturbance; inaction. 2. (Eccl. Hist.) The system of the Quietists, who maintained that religion consists in an internal rest or repose of the…Quī'et-ist, n. p. 1076(Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of mystics, originated by Molino, a Spanish priest, who maintained the principles of Quietism.Qui'et-ist'ic, a. p. 1076Pertaining to a Quietist, or to Quietism.Qui'et-ly, adv. p. 1076In a quiet state or manner; 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…Qui'et-ness, n. p. 1076The state of being quiet; freedom from agitation, disturbance, or excitement; stillness; tranquillity; calmness. I would have peace and quietness. Milton.Qui'et-sōme, a. p. 1076Calm; still; undisturbed. [Obs.] Spenser.Quiē'-tūde, n. p. 1076Rest; repose; quiet; tranquillity.Qui-ē'tus, n. p. 1076Rest; repose; death; hence, a final discharge or acquittance; that which silences claims. When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin. Shak.Qui-ē'tus, a. p. 1076(Old Eng. Law.) Quit; clear; acquitted; discharged. Burrill.Quill, n. p. 1076The large, strong feather of a goose or other large bird;—used for writing-pens, &c. 2. Hence, the instrument of writing; a pen; as, the proper subject of his quill. Wotton. 3. A spine or prickle, as…Quill, v. t. p. 1076To plait, or to form with small ridges like quills or reeds; as, a woolen stuff quilled; to quill a ruffle. 2. To wind on a quill, as thread or yarn. Judd.Quill'-bit, n. p. 1076A kind of instrument for boring wood; a gouge-bit.Quill'-driv'er, n. p. 1076One who works with a pen; especially, a clerk.Quilled, a. p. 1076Furnished with quills;—used in composition. “A sharp-quilled porcupine.” Shak.Quil'let, n. p. 1076Subtilty; nicety; quibble. “These nice, sharp quillets of the law.” Shak.Quill'ing, n. p. 1076A narrow border or trimming of lace, and the like, folded or plaited so as somewhat to resemble a row of quills. Simmonds.Quill'-wort, n. p. 1076(Bot.) A cryptogamic aquatic plant (Isoetes lacustris), having a grass-like shape. It is found on the shallow bottoms of ponds in Europe and America.Quilt, n. p. 1076A cover or garment made by putting wool, cotton, or other substance, between two cloths, and sewing them together. “The beds were covered with magnificent quilts.” Arbuthnot.Quilt, v. t. p. 1076To stitch together with some soft and warm substance between, or in the interior of; as, a quilted bed-cover; a quilted coat. Dryden. 2. To sew with the stitch used in a quilt.Quilt'er, n. p. 1076One who quilts.Quilt'ing, n. p. 1076The act of forming a quilt. 2. The act or process of making a quilt or quilts by a party of ladies, especially for some charitable purpose. [U. S.] 3. A figured material for bed-quilts…Quī'nā, n. p. 1076The same as QUINIA.Quī'na-ry, a. p. 1076Consisting of five; arranged by fives; as, a quinary number. Boyle.Quī'nate, a. p. 1076(Bot.) Having five leaflets on a petiole. Martyn.Quinçe, n. p. 1076(Bot.) The fruit of the Cydonia vulgaris, so named from Cydonia, a town of Crete, famous for abounding with this fruit. It has an acid taste and pleasant flavor, and is much used in making pies…Quince, n. p. 1076(Bot.)Quince'-tree p. 1076The tree Cydonia vulgaris, which produces the quince.Quince'-wort, n. p. 1076(Bot.) A plant (Asperula cynanchica) found in Europe.Quinch, v. t. p. 1076To stir, wince, or flounce. [Obs.] Spenser.Quin-cūn'cial, a. p. 1076Having the form of a quincunx. 2. (Bot.) Having five leaves in a floral whorl, in estivation, so arranged that two are exterior, two wholly interior, and the fifth has one edge out and the other…Quin-cūn'cial-ly, adv. p. 1076In the manner or order of a quincunx.Quin'cunx, n. p. 1076An arrangement or disposition of things by fives in a square, one being placed in the middle of the square; especially, an arrangement, as of trees, in squares consisting of five trees, one at each…Quin-dē'ca-gŏn, n. p. 1076(Geom.) A plane figure with fifteen angles, and consequently fifteen sides. Hutton.Quīn'de-cēm'vir, n. p. 1076(Rom. Antiq.) One of an ecclesiastical college of fifteen men, whose chief duty was to take care of the Sibylline books.Quīn'de-cēm'vir-ate, n. p. 1076The body or office of the quindecemviri.Quin'dem or Quin'dism, n. p. 1076A fifteenth part. [Obs. and rare.]Quin'i-ā or Quin'i-nā or Qui'nine or Qui-nine', n. p. 1076(Chem.) A basic alkaloid obtained from various species of cinchona, especially from C. flava, and C. calisaya, or China regia. 2. (Med.) One of the salts of quinine, especially the sulphate, in which…Qui-nō'ā, n. p. 1076The seeds of Chenopodium quinoa, used in Chili and Peru, when made into porridge or cakes, for food; also, food thus made. Simmonds.Qui-noid'ine, n. p. 1076(Chem.) A bitter, uncrystallizable, resinoid substance, obtained in the preparation of quinine.Qui'nin-ism, n. p. 1076(Med.) The state of the system, or the aggregate of encephalic and neuropathic phenomena, resulting from overdoses of quinine.