Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Q p. 1069Q, the seventeenth letter of the English alphabet, has but one sound, which is the same as that of k, or c hard. It is, therefore, a superfluous letter. In English, it never ends a word, as it does…Quab, n. p. 1069A young, unfledged bird; a squab; hence, something unfinished or very immature. Ford.Quab, v. i. p. 1069See Quob.Quā'-bīrd, n. p. 1069(Ornith.) A kind of heron found in the Southern States. See HERON.Quā'cha, n. p. 1069(Zoöl.) The quagga. See QUAGGA.Qua-chĭl’to, n. p. 1069(Ornith.) A Brazilian fowl of the moor-hen kind, of a fine black color, variegated with white.Quăck, v. i. p. 1069To cry like the common domestic duck. 2. To make vain and loud pretensions; to boast. “To quack of universal cures.” Hudibras. 3. To act as a quack.Quăck, n. p. 1069The cry of the domestic duck; a sound such as is made by a duck. 2. A boastful pretender to medical skill; an empiric; an ignorant practitioner. 3. Hence, one who boastfully pretends to knowledge not…Quäck, a. p. 1069Pertaining to quackery; used by quacks. If all understood medicine, there would be none to take his quack medicine. Whately.Quăck'ened, a. p. 1069Almost choked or suffocated.Quăck'er-y, n. p. 1069The boastful pretensions or practice of a quack; empiricism.Quäck'ish, a. p. 1069Like a quack; boasting of skill not possessed; trickish.Quäck'ism, n. p. 1069The practice of quackery. Ash.Quäck'le, v. i. p. 1069To be near suffocation; to suffer stoppage of breath; to choke.Quäck'säl-ver, n. p. 1069One who boasts of his skill in medicines and salves, or of the efficacy of his prescriptions; a charlatan; a quack; a mountebank. [Obs.]Quad, a. p. 1069Evil; bad. [Obs.] Gower.Quad'ră, n. p. 1069(Arch.) (a.) A square border or frame round a bass-relief, panel, &c. (b.) A band or fillet of the Ionic base. (c.) The plinth, or lower member of a podium or continued pedestal.Quăd'ra-ge-nā'ri-ous, a. p. 1069Consisting of forty; forty years old.Quad'ra-gēne, n. p. 1069(Rom. Cath. Church.) An indulgence of forty days, that is, a remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, corresponding to the forty days of ancient canonical penance. Bp. Fitzpatrick.Quadră-gĕs'ĭ-mă, n. p. 1069(Eccl.) The forty days of fast preceding Easter; Lent. Quadragesima Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, about forty days before Easter.Quad'ra-gēs'i-mal, a. p. 1069Belonging to Lent; used in Lent.Quad'ra-gēs'i-mals, n. p. 1069An offering formerly made to the mother-church on Mid-Lent Sunday.Quăd'răng-gle, n. p. 1069(Geom.) A plane figure having four angles, and consequently four sides. 2. (Arch.) A square or quadrangular court surrounded by buildings, as was often done formerly in monasteries, colleges, and…Quad-răn'gu-lar, a. p. 1069Having four angles, and consequently four sides.Quād-răn'gu-lar-ly, adv. p. 1069With four sides and four angles.Quăd'rans, n. p. 1069(Rom. Antiq.) A fourth part of a Roman as.Quād'rant, n. p. 1069The fourth part; the quarter. [Obs.] Browne. 2. (Geom.) The quarter of a circle, or of the circumference of a circle: an arc of 90°, or one subtending a right angle at the center. 3. An instrument…Quad-rānt'al, a. p. 1069Pertaining to a quadrant; also, included in the fourth part of a circle; as, quadrantal space. Quadrantal triangle, a spherical triangle having one side equal to a quadrant. Hutton.Quăd-rānt’al, n. p. 1069A cube. [Rare.] 2. A cubical vessel used by the Romans. It held the same quantity as the amphora, namely, a cubic foot.Quăd′rat, n. p. 1069(Print.) A piece of type-metal cast lower than types, so as to leave a blank space on the paper, when printed, where they are placed. They are used to fill out lines, to form white lines, to justify…Quād'rate, a. p. 1069Having four equal and parallel sides, and four right angles; square. “A book of astronomy . . . with figures, some round, some triangle, some quadrate.” Foxe. 2. Divisible by four; separable into…Quād'rate, n. p. 1069A surface with four equal and parallel sides and four right angles; a square. At which command, the powers militant That stood for heaven, in mighty quadrate joined. Milton. 2. (Astrol.) An aspect of…Quăd'rāte, v. i. p. 1069To agree with; to be accommodated; to suit; to correspond; to square; — followed by with. The objections of these speculatists of its forms do not quadrate with their theories. Burke.Quad-rāt'ic, a. p. 1069Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a square; square. 2. (Crystallog.) Dimetric; — applied to the system of crystallization which includes the square prism and related forms. Dana.Quadratic equation p. 1069an equation in which the highest power of the unknown quantity is a square.Quad-rā'trix, n. p. 1069(Geom.) A curve made use of in the quadrature of other curves; as, the quadratrix of Dinostratus, or of Tschirnhausen.Quad'ra-tūre, n. p. 1069The act of squaring; the finding of a square having the same area as a given curvilinear figure, as a circle; the operation of finding an expression for the area of a figure bounded wholly or in part…Quăd'rel, n. p. 1069(Arch.) A kind of artificial stone made of chalky earth and dried in the shade for two years; — so called from being square. Gwilt. 2. A piece of turf or peat cut in a four-square figure. [Stafford.]…Quad-rĕn'ni-al, a. p. 1069Comprising four years; as, a quadrennial period. 2. Occurring once in four years; as, quadrennial games.Quăd-rēn'ni-al-ly, adv. p. 1069Once in four years.Quad'ri-bā'sie, a. p. 1069(Chem.) Having four parts of base to one of acid.Quăd'ri-ble, a. p. 1069Capable of being squared. Derham.Quăd'rie, n. p. 1069See QUANTIC.Quad'ri-căp'su-lar, a. p. 1069(Bot.) Having four capsules.Quad'ri-côr'nōus, a. p. 1069Having four horns.Quad'ri-dĕç'i-mal, a. p. 1069(Crystallog.) Having four faces on the prism, or the middle part, and two summits, containing together ten faces;— said of certain crystals.Quad'ri dent'ate, a. p. 1070(Bot.) Having four teeth on the edge. Martyn.Quad'ri-en'ni-al, a. p. 1070The same as QUADRENNIAL.Quad'ri-fā'ri-oūs, a. p. 1070Arranged in four rows or ranks. London.Quad'ri-fid, a. p. 1070Divided or deeply cleft into four parts. 2. (Bot.) Divided half way from the margin to the base into four clefts; as, a quadrifid perianth; cut about half way into four segments, with linear sinuses…Quad'ri-fol or Quad'ri-fō'li-ate, a. p. 1070(Bot.) Having four leaflets growing from the extremity of the petiole; four-leaved.Quăd'ri-fōre, n. p. 1070(Zoöl.) One of a family of sessile cirripeds, comprehending those in which the opercular covering of the tube is composed of four valves or calcareous pieces. Brande.Quad'ri-fur'cā-ted, a. p. 1070Having four forks, or branches.Quăd'ri'gō, n. p. 1070(Rom. Antiq.) A car drawn by four horses abreast, as represented on ancient medals.Quăd'ri-ge-nā'ri-oūs, a. p. 1070Consisting of four hundred.Quad′ri-jū′gate or Quad′ri′jū-gate, a. p. 1070The same as QUADRIJUGOUS, q. v.Quad'ri-jū'gous or Quad'ri-jū-gous, a. p. 1070(Bot.) Pinnate, with four pairs of leaflets; as, a quadrijugous leaf.Quăd'ri-lāt'er-al, a. p. 1070Having four sides, and consequently four angles.Quăd'ri-lăt'er-al, n. p. 1070A plane figure having four sides, and consequently four angles; a quadrangular figure.Quăd'ri-lāt'er-al-ness, n. p. 1070The property of being quadrilateral.