Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Quail
Quail
,Verb.
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.
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.
The atheist power shall
Stouter hearts than a woman’s have
quail
, and confess his fears. I
. Taylor
.Stouter hearts than a woman’s have
quailed
in this terrible winter. Longfellow.
Syn. – to cower; flinch; shrink; quake; tremble; blench; succumb; yield.
Quail
,Verb.
T.
[Cf.
Quell
.] To cause to fail in spirit or power; to quell; to crush; to subdue.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
Quail
,Verb.
I.
To curdle; to coagulate, as milk.
[Obs.]
Holland.
Quail
,Noun.
[OF.
quaille
, F. caille
, LL. quaquila
, qualia
, qualea
, of Dutch or German origin; cf. D. kwakkel
, kwartel
, OHG. wahtala
, G. wachtel
.] 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
). 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
). 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
. 4.
A prostitute; – so called because the quail was thought to be a very amorous bird.
[Obs.]
Shak.
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.]
Webster 1828 Edition
Quail
QUAIL
,Verb.
I.
1.
To sink into dejection; to languish; to fail in spirits. [Little used.]2.
To fade; to wither. Obs.QUAIL
, v.i.To curdle; to coagulate; as milk.
QUAIL
,Verb.
T.
QUAIL
, n.A bird of the genus Tetrao or grouse kind, or according to Latham's arrangement, of the genus Perdix, in which he comprehends the partridge and quail. In New England, the name is applied to a peculiar species of the perdix, which is called partridge in the middle states, but it is neither the partridge nor quail of Europe.