QUAILED

Verb

quailed

simple past tense and past participle of quail

Source: Wiktionary


QUAIL

Quail, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Qualled; p. pr. & vb. n. Qualling.] Etym: [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. Etym: [Cf. Quell.]

Definition: To cause to fail in spirit or power; to quell; to crush; to subdue. [Obs.] Spenser.

Quail, v. i. Etym: [OF. coaillier, F. cailler, from L. coagulare. See Coagulate.]

Definition: To curdle; to coagulate, as milk. [Obs.] Holland.

Quail, n. Etym: [OF. quaille, F. caille, LL. quaquila, qualia, qualea, of Dutch or German origin; cf. D. kwakkel, kwartel, OHG. wahtala, G. wachtel.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Definition: 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. (Zoöl.)

Definition: 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. (Zoöl.)

Definition: 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 (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), any one of several American ground pigeons belonging to Geotrygon and allied genera.

– Quail hawk (Zoöl.), the New Zealand sparrow hawk (Hieracidea Novæ-Hollandiæ).

– Quail pipe. See Quail call, above.

– Quail snipe (Zoöl.), the dowitcher, or red-breasted snipe; -- called also robin snipe, and brown snipe.

– Sea quail (Zoöl.), the turnstone. [Local, U. S.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET



Word of the Day

22 November 2024

SHEET

(noun) (nautical) a line (rope or chain) that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

You can overdose on coffee if you drink about 30 cups in a brief period to get close to a lethal dosage of caffeine.

coffee icon