Dictionary [Q]

Word	Definition
qanat	underground tunnel for carrying irrigation water
qasida	Arabic or Persian elegiac poem
qat	leaves chewed or brewed in tea as a stimulant
qigong	system of Chinese meditational exercises
qintar	Albanian unit of currency
qiviut	wool of the undercoat of a musk-ox
qoph	a Hebrew letter
qua	in the capacity of
quab	to throb; to quiver
quab	something unfinished or immature; unfledged bird
quackle	to choke; to suffocate
quacksalver	one who falsely pretends to knowledge of medicine
quad	unit of energy equal to one quadrillion British thermal units
quadra	square frame; plinth
quadrable	capable of being expressed in a finite number of algebraic terms
quadragenarian	a person between 40 and 49 years of age
quadragesimal	of, like or pertaining to Lent; lasting forty days
quadragesimarian	one who observes Lent
quadragintesimal	forty-fold; having forty parts
quadral	in four parts
quadraphonic	produced by a sound system that employs four signal sources
quadrat	small square block used as a space in printing
quadrate	to make square; to make to agree
quadratrix	a curve by which a circle may be squared
quadratura	wall or ceiling painted with arches and columns in strong perspective
quadrel	square block of brick
quadrennial	lasting four years; occurring once every four years
quadrennium	period of four years
quadrifid	split into four
quadrifoliate	having four leaves
quadriga	two-wheeled carriage drawn by four horses
quadrigeminal	in four similar or equal parts
quadrigenarious	comprising four hundred
quadrille	square dance for four couples; card game for four people
quadrilocular	having four compartments
quadrimium	four-year-old wine; best or oldest wine
quadripole	device having one pair of output terminals and one pair of input terminals
quadrireme	ancient ship with four sets of oars
quadrivial	leading in four directions; concerning a four-way junction
quadrivium	four branches of mathematics in medieval education
quadrivoltine	having four litters in a single year
quadroon	old term for a person of one-quarter black ancestry
quadrumanous	of the primates other than man
quadrupedation	stamping with four feet
quaedam	disparaging term for a woman
quaere	to introduce a question or issue
quaeritur	the question is asked
quaesitum	something sought for; the true value
quaestionary	religious pardoner
quaestor	ancient magistrate; a medieval pardoner
quaestuary	money-making; money-seeking; in business only for profit
quagga	extinct African wild ass like the zebra
quagma	hypothetical matter made up of quarks and gluons
quagswag	to shake to and fro
quahog	type of edible clam
quain	angle; wedge-like corner
quale	quality or property of something; abstract virtue or quality
qualificator	one who prepares ecclesiastical cases for trial
qualimeter	apparatus for measuring penetrating power of X-ray beams
qually	of wine, cloudy or turbid
qualtagh	first person encountered after leaving home on a special day
quamoclit	tropical climbing plant with brilliant flowers
quango	a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization
quangocracy	rule of quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations
quannet	flat file used like a plane
quant	punting or jumping pole with a flat end
quantile	any of a set of equal fractions of a given population
quantimeter	apparatus for measuring quantity of X-rays
quantivalence	chemical valence; ability of atoms to hold other atoms in combination
quantometer	instrument for measuring proportions of elements in metallic samples
quantophrenia	obsessive reliance on statistics and mathematical results
quantulate	to calculate the magnitude of
quantulum	small quantity
quantuplicity	relative magnitude of a quantity
quaquadrate	a sixteenth power
quaquaversal	facing or bending all ways
quarender	dark red apple
quaresimal	Lenten; having the meagreness of Lenten meals
quarion	candle
quark	soft cheese made from skim milk
quarkonium	meson formed of a quark and an anti-quark
quarl	large curved brick or tile used to support melting pot
quarred	soured; clotted
quarrelet	small square
quarrenden	variety of apple
quarrion	Australian parrot like the cockatiel
quartan	a fever recurring every third day
quartation	mixing one part gold with three parts silver prior to purifying it
quarter	unit of weight equal to 28 pounds
quarterdeck	part of ship's deck set aside by captain for ceremonial functions
quartering	sailing nearly before the wind
quarterland	ancient land division on the Isle of Man
quarterlight	small triangular ventilation window in a car
quartern	one quarter of various measures
quartic	a curve or equation of the fourth degree
quartinvariant	an invariant of the fourth degree
quartodeciman	early Christian who celebrated Easter on Passover even if not a Sunday
quartziferous	bearing quartz
quasi	as if; seemingly; in a manner
quasquicentennial	one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary
quassation	act of shaking or being shaken
quassia	tropical tree whose bark is used to make a bitter medicinal product
quat	a pimple; an insignificant person
quatch	a word; a sound
quatenus	in the capacity of; in so far as
quatern	arranged in fours
quaternion	any set of four things; quotient of two vectors expressed quadrinomially
quaternitarian	one who believes that God consists of four parts
quaternity	fourness; any group of four things
quatint	engraving using nitric acid
quatorzain	piece of verse having fourteen lines; a sonnet
quatrain	stanza of four lines of verse
quatrayle	great-great-great grandfather
quatrefoil	four-petalled flower; design or ornament with four flowers or leaves
quatridual	lasting for four days
quattrocentism	style of art of the fifteenth century in Italy
quattrocento	the fifteenth century; Italian art and architecture of that period
quatuorvirate	a body of four men
quaviver	fish otherwise known as the sea-dragon or dragonet
quawk	black-crowned night heron
queach	a thicket
quean	lewd woman; hussy; woman of bad character
queem	protected from the wind
queenite	a queen's partisan
queenright	of a colony of social insects, having a queen
quelch	to squelch
quelea	an African weaver-bird
quellio	a Spanish ruff
quena	vertical bamboo flute used in the Andes
quenelle	poached meat dumpling
quenouille	concerning the training of trees into cone-like shape
quercetum	plantation of oak trees
quercine	of, like or pertaining to oak trees
quercitron	yellowish pigment derived from bark of a variety of oak
querencia	part of a bullfighting arena where the bull makes his stand
querent	one who asks a question
querical	of the nature of queries
querimonious	full of complaints
querimony	complaint
querist	inquirer
querken	to stifle; to suffocate
querl	to twist; to curl
quern	stone mill worked by hand
querquedule	pin-tail duck; a teal
quersprung	in skiing, a jump-turn at right angles
querulist	one who complains
querulous	complaining; peevish
quesited	sought for; asked about
questmonger	one whose occupation is to conduct inquests
quetsch	dark-skinned oval plum; liqueur made from such plums
quetzal	gold and green bird with long tail feathers
quevée	in heraldry, having a tail
queyock	heifer
quich	to stir; to move
quicken	mountain ash tree
quickhatch	wolverine
quicklime	calcium oxide
quickset	formed of living plants arranged in place
quicksilver	old name for mercury
quickstep	fast march-like dance
quicquidlibet	whatever one pleases; anything whatsoever
quid	a cut or wad or something chewable
quidam	a certain person; somebody
quiddany	jelly or thick syrup made from sweetened quince juice
quidditative	quirky; eccentric
quiddity	unique essence; eccentricity
quiddle	a fastidious person
quidnunc	busybody; one keenly interested in gossip
quidsworth	able to be bought for one pound
quietation	the action of quieting a person or persons
quietism	doctrine of enlightenment through mental tranquility
quietus	discharge from life; extinction; death; silencing
quiff	puff or gust of wind
quiff	tuft of hair brushed away from the forehead; oiled lock of hair
quillaia	South American tree whose bark is used to make soap
quillet	subtle point in argument; a quibble
quilling	strip or ribbon gathered into flutings
quillon	arm of the cross-guard of a sword handle
quinary	based on the number five
quince	orange-coloured, pear-shaped fruit
quincunx	five things with four at corners and one in middle
quincurion	leader of five men
quindecagon	plane figure having fifteen sides
quindecasyllabic	having fifteen syllables
quingentenary	five-hundredth anniversary
quiniferous	yielding quinine
quinimetry	measurement of amount of quinine in bark
quinism	pathological state resulting from excessive use of quinine
quinnat	the king salmon
quinnet	wedge
quinology	study of quinine
quinquagenarian	person between the ages of 50 and 59
quinquagesimal	belonging to a set of fifty
quinquefarious	arranged in five rows
quinquennium	period of five years
quinquiplicate	to multiply by five
quinsy	old disease like tonsilitis
quintain	post for tilting with turning cross-piece
quintal	unit of weight equal to 100 kilograms
quinternion	set of five sheets of paper
quintessence	the most essential part or embodiment of something
quintic	of the fifth order or degree
quinton	five-stringed tenor viol
quintroon	old term for someone who is of 1/16 black descent
quipu	knotted cords used as Inca mnemonic device
quire	unit of 24 sheets of paper
quire	twenty-four sheets of paper of the same size and quality
quirister	a chorister
quiritary	in accordance with Roman civil law
quiritian	a Roman citizen
quirt	short-handled riding whip
quisby	an idler; suspicious or odd
quisling	one who aids the enemy; a puppet leader supported by foreign power
quisquilious	made of rubbish
quitch	a kind of wild grass
quitclaim	deed relinquishing a claim, such as a mining title
quiteron	superconducting device similar to a transistor
quitrent	small nominal rent paid to commute feudal service
quittance	release from a debt or obligation; a document expressing such a release
quitter	pus; suppurating discharge
quixotic	extravagantly and romantically chivalrous; idealistic
quoad	with respect to; as regards
quod	prison
quoddamodotative	existing in a certain manner
quodlibet	philosophical argument of disputation; humorous medley
quodlibetificate	to quibble with
quoin	a wedge; salient angle of a building; cornerstone
quoit	heavy flat ring thrown over pin in a game like horseshoes
quokka	short-tailed wallaby
quoll	native cat-like marsupial of Australia
quomodocunquize	to make money in any way possible
quondam	former; sometime; formerly
quorate	having or being a quorum
quotatious	tending to quote; given to quoting
quotennial	yearly
quotha	expression of surprise or contempt
quotidian	everyday; commonplace
quotiety	number; numerical relationship
quotition	a division regarded as a repeated subtraction
quotum	a number considered in its proportion to a larger number
quotuple	what multiple
quoz	absurd person or thing

Posted in: English Dictionary