Lexic.us

Definition of Quail

1. Verb. Draw back, as with fear or pain. "She flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf"

2. Noun. Flesh of quail; suitable for roasting or broiling if young; otherwise must be braised.

3. Noun. Small gallinaceous game birds.

Definition of Quail

1. v. i. To die; to perish; hence, to wither; to fade.

2. v. t. To cause to fail in spirit or power; to quell; to crush; to subdue.

3. v. i. To curdle; to coagulate, as milk.

4. n. 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).

Definition of Quail

1. Verb. (intransitive) To waste away; to fade, wither. (defdate from 15th c.) ¹

2. Verb. (context: transitive now rare) To frighten, daunt (someone). (defdate from 16th c.) ¹

3. Verb. (intransitive) To lose heart or courage; to be daunted, fearful. (defdate from 16th c.) ¹

4. Verb. (intransitive) To slacken, give way (of courage, faith etc.). (defdate from 16th c.) ¹

5. Noun. Any of various small game birds of the genera ''Coturnix'', ''Anurophasis'' or ''Perdicula'' in the Old World family Phasianidae or of the New World family Odontophoridae. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Quail

1. to cower [v -ED, -ING, -S] - See also: cower

Medical Definition of Quail

1. Small galliform bird. Quail embryos are often use in developmental studies because quail cells can be distinguished from chicken cells, yet the two are sufficiently closely related that it is possible to graft embryonic tissue from one to the other. This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology (11 Mar 2008)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Quail

quags quahaug quahaugs quahog quahogged quahogger quahoggers quahogging quahogs quai

quaich quaiches quaichs quaigh quaighs quail (current term) quail-dove quail-doves quail-pipe quail-pipes

quail at quail bronchitis virus quail brush quail bush quail dove quail hawk quail pipe quail pipes quailed quailer

Literary usage of Quail

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (1903)
"Calcium absorption was measured in quail forming an eggshell (12-17 hr after ... For the measurement of the absorption of calcium, quail were anesthetized ..."

2. Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia and Register of Important Events of the Year (1887)
"Open season for wild geese and ducks, September 1 to May 1 ; quail, wood-duck, ... In Mecklenburg County, the season for partridge, quail, and turkey is ..."

3. Recreation by George O. Shields, American Canoe Association, League of American Sportsmen (1898)
"At this time the flesh of the quail is dark and bitter, from feeding on laurel ... In the sportsman's code there is no crime so heinous as shooting a quail ..."

4. Frank Forester's Field Sports of the United States, and British Provinces by Henry William Herbert (1864)
"quail SHOOTING. HAVE already, under my list of Upland Game, ... The latter name being the Greek word, as Coturnix is the Latin word, meaning quail. ..."

5. Frank Forester's Field sports of the United States and British provinces of by Henry William Herbert (1860)
"quail SHOOTING. HAVE already, under my list of Upland Game, given a full description of this lovely little bird from the pages of Audu- bon and Wilson. ..."

6. Recreation by George O. Shields, American Canoe Association, League of American Sportsmen (1898)
"TWO HOURS WITH quail. MARTHA CONNELLY. My husband had often promised to take ... We had broiled quail on toast for supper, and it was a feast not soon to be ..."

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