quai

n. [ OF. quaille, F. caille, LL. quaquila, qualia, qualea, of Dutch or German origin; cf. D. kwakkel, kwartel, OHG. wahtala, G. wachtel. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Zool.) Any gallinaceous bird belonging to Coturnix and several allied genera of the Old World, especially the common European quail (Coturnix communis), the rain quail (Coturnix Coromandelica) of India, the stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis), and the Australian swamp quail (Synoicus australis). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) 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). [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of Turnix and allied genera, native of the Old World, as the Australian painted quail (Turnix varius). See Turnix. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A prostitute; -- so called because the quail was thought to be a very amorous bird. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bustard quail (Zool.), a small Asiatic quail-like bird of the genus Turnix, as Turnix taigoor, a black-breasted species, and the hill bustard quail (Turnix ocellatus). See Turnix. --
Button quail (Zool.), one of several small Asiatic species of Turnix, as Turnix 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 (Zool.), any one of several American ground pigeons belonging to Geotrygon and allied genera. --
Quail hawk (Zool.), the New Zealand sparrow hawk (Hieracidea Novæ-Hollandiæ). --
Quail pipe. See Quail call, above. --
Quail snipe (Zool.), the dowitcher, or red-breasted snipe; -- called also robin snipe, and brown snipe. --
Sea quail (Zool.), the turnstone. [ Local, U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Qualled p. pr. & vb. n. Qualling. ] [ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The atheist power shall quail, and confess his fears. I. Taylor.
Stouter hearts than a woman's have quailed in this terrible winter. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- to cower; flinch; shrink; quake; tremble; blench; succumb; yield. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. Quell. ] To cause to fail in spirit or power; to quell; to crush; to subdue. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ OF. coaillier, F. cailler, from L. coagulare. See Coagulate. ] To curdle; to coagulate, as milk. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Quail the bird. ] (Zool.) The upland plover. [ Canadian ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. queint, queynte, coint, prudent, wise, cunning, pretty, odd, OF. cointe cultivated, amiable, agreeable, neat, fr. L. cognitus known, p. p. of cognoscere to know; con + noscere (for gnoscere) to know. See Know, and cf. Acquaint, Cognition. ] 1. Prudent; wise; hence, crafty; artful; wily. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Clerks be full subtle and full quaint. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Characterized by ingenuity or art; finely fashioned; skillfully wrought; elegant; graceful; nice; neat. [ Archaic ] “ The queynte ring.” “ His queynte spear.” Chaucer. “ A shepherd young quaint.” Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every look was coy and wondrous quaint. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

To show bow quaint an orator you are. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Curious and fanciful; affected; odd; whimsical; antique; archaic; singular; unusual; as, quaint architecture; a quaint expression. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some stroke of quaint yet simple pleasantry. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

An old, long-faced, long-bodied servant in quaint livery. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Quaint, Odd, Antique. Antique is applied to that which has come down from the ancients, or which is made to imitate some ancient work of art. Odd implies disharmony, incongruity, or unevenness. An odd thing or person is an exception to general rules of calculation and procedure, or expectation and common experience. In the current use of quaint, the two ideas of odd and antique are combined, and the word is commonly applied to that which is pleasing by reason of both these qualities. Thus, we speak of the quaint architecture of many old buildings in London; or a quaint expression, uniting at once the antique and the fanciful. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. cointise. ] 1. Craft; subtlety; cunning. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. R. of Glouces. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Elegance; beauty. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a quaint manner. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]