quint

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A metric measure of weight, being 100, 000 grams, or 100 kilograms, equal to 220.46 pounds avoirdupois. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Quintain. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: An extract from anything, containing its rarest virtue, or most subtle and essential constituent in a small quantity; pure or concentrated essence. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let there be light, said God; and forthwith light
Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure,
Sprung from the deep. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The most characteristic form or most perfect example of some type of object. [ PJC ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of the nature of a quintessence; purest; most characteristic. “Quintessential extract of mediocrity.” G. Eliot. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } 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. [ 1913 Webster ]