4 entries under this word
(kwāl), v. i. [imp. & p. p. QUAILED; p. pr. & vb. n. QUAILING.] [A.-S. cwelan, to die, perish; D. kwelen, to languish. Cf. QUELL.]
Sense 1. To become quelled; to sink into dejection; to become cast down; to sink under trial or apprehension of danger; to lose spirit; to be deprived of power of resistance; to give way; to shrink; to cower.
The atheist power shall quail, and confess his fears. I. Taylor.
Sense 2. To fade; to wither. [Obs.] Hakewill.
v. i. [Fr. cailler, It. cagliare, guagliare, Pg. coalhar, Sp. coagular, cuajar, from Lat. coagulare. See COAGULATE.] To curdle; to coagulate, as milk. [Obs.]
Being put into milk, it will not suffer it to turn, or sour; it keeps it from quailing and curding. Holland.
v. t. [A-S. cœlian, cwellan, to kill, quell, torment; D. kwellen, Icel. qvelia, to torture; O. H. Ger. quellan, N. H. Ger. quälen. Cf. QUELL.] To crush; to depress; to sink; to subdue. [Obs.]
n. [O. Fr. quaille, N. Fr. caille, Pr. calha, quisquila, O. Sp. coalla, It. quaglia, L. Lat. quaguila, quaguilia, qualia, quales, O. D. qualele, N. D. kwakkel, kwartel, Catalan guattla, O. H. Ger. wahtala, N. H. Ger. wachtel.]
Sense 1. (Ornith.) A gallinaceous bird (Coturnix vulgaris), closely allied to the partridge of Europe.
Common Quail (Coturnix vulgaris).
In the United States the name is loosely used for Ortyx Virginianus, or bobwhite, and the Bonasa umbellus, or ruffled grouse.
Sense 2. A prostitute; — so called because the quail was thought to be a very amorous bird. [Obs.]
