Trends ofquail
View usage for:
quail
(kweɪl)
Word forms: plural quails, plural quail, 3rd person singular presenttense quails, present participle quailing, past tense, past participle quailed
1. countable noun
A quail is a type of small bird which is often shot and eaten.
Quail is the meat of this bird eaten as food.
They dined off salmon, quail, and fruit.
2. verb
If someone or something makes you quail, they make you feel very afraid, often so that you hesitate.
[literary] The very words make many of us quail. [VERB]
Kearon was no shrinking violet, but even he quailed at being handed 10lb of highexplosive. [VERB + at]
Synonyms: shrink, cringe, flinch, shake More Synonyms of quail
quail in British English 1
(kweɪl)
nounWord forms: plural quails or quail
1.
any small Old World gallinaceous game bird of the genus Coturnix and related genera, having a rounded body and small tail: family Phasianidae (pheasants)
2.
any of various similar and related American birds, such as the bobwhite
Word origin
C14: from Old French quaille, from Medieval Latin quaccula, probably of imitative originquail in British English 2
(kweɪl)
verb
(intransitive)
to shrink back with fear; cower
Word origin
C15: perhaps from Old French quailler, from Latin coāgulāre to curdlequail in American English 1
(kweɪl)
verb intransitive
to draw back in fear; lose heart or courage; cower
Word origin
ME quailen, prob. < OFr coaillier < L coagulare, to coagulatequail in American English 2
(kweɪl)
nounWord forms: plural quails or quail
any of a number of small, short-tailed gallinaceous birds (family Phasianidae), includingthe bobwhite
see also partridge Word origin
ME quaille < OFr < ML cuacula, of echoic orig.Image ofquail
© Eric Isselee, shutterstock
Examples of 'quail' in a sentencequail
Word lists withquail
birdIn other languagesquail
British English: quail /kweɪl/ NOUN
A quail is a small bird which is often shot and eaten.
- American English: quail
- Arabic: سَمَانِى
- Brazilian Portuguese: codorna
- Chinese: 鹌鹑
- Croatian: prepelica
- Czech: křepelka
- Danish: vagtel
- Dutch: kwartel
- European Spanish: codorniz
- Finnish: viiriäinen
- French: caille
- German: Wachtel
- Greek: ορτύκι
- Italian: quaglia
- Japanese: ウズラ
- Korean: 메추라기
- Norwegian: vaktel
- Polish: przepiórka
- European Portuguese: codorniz
- Romanian: prepeliță
- Russian: перепел
- Latin American Spanish: codorniz
- Swedish: vaktel
- Thai: นกกระทา
- Turkish: bıldırcın
- Ukrainian: перепел
- Vietnamese: chim cút
Chinese translation of 'quail'
quail
(kweɪl)
n (c)
- (= bird)
鹌(鵪)鹑(鶉)
(ānchún) (只, zhī)
vi
- (liter)to quail (at sth)
(对(對)某事)感到不寒而栗(慄)
((duì mǒushì) gǎndào bù hán ér lì)
related words
collective noun bevy
(verb)
Definition
to shrink back with fear
The very word makes many of us quail.
Synonyms
shrink
cringe
I cringed in horror.
flinch
The slightest pressure made her flinch.
shake
I stood there, crying and shaking with fear.
faint
tremble
He began to tremble all over.
quake
Her shoulders quaked.
shudder
She shuddered with cold.
falter
As he neared the house, he faltered.
droop
blanch
Staff don't blanch at the sight of blood.
recoil
People used to recoil from the idea of getting into debt.
cower
The hostages cowered in their seats.
blench
have cold feet (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of blanch
Staff don't blanch at the sight of blood.
Synonyms
recoil,
start,
withdraw,
flee,
retreat,
duck,
shrink,
back off,
wince,
swerve,
cringe,
shy away,
quail,
cower,
shirk,
draw back,
baulk,
blenchin the sense of blench
Definition
to shy away, as in fear
Synonyms
recoil,
start,
shy,
shrink,
hesitate,
quake,
shudder,
falter,
wince,
quiver,
cringe,
flinch,
quail,
cowerin the sense of cower
Definition
to cringe or shrink in fear
The hostages cowered in their seats.
Synonyms
cringe,
shrink,
tremble,
crouch,
flinch,
quail,
draw back,
grovelNearby words ofquail
- quaff
- quaggy
- quagmire
- quail
- quaint
- quake
- qualification
Synonyms of 'quail'
quail
Explore 'quail' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of cringe
Definition
to shrink or flinch in fear
I cringed in horror.
Synonyms
shrink,
flinch,
quail,
recoil,
start,
shy,
tremble,
quiver,
cower,
draw back,
blenchin the sense of falter
As he neared the house, he faltered.
Synonyms
tumble,
shake,
tremble,
totterin the sense of flinch
Definition
to draw back suddenly from pain or something unpleasant
The slightest pressure made her flinch.
Synonyms
wince,
start,
duck,
shrink,
cringe,
quail,
recoil,
cower,
blenchin the sense of quake
Definition
to shudder because of instability
Her shoulders quaked.
Synonyms
shake,
tremble,
quiver,
move,
rock,
shiver,
throb,
shudder,
wobble,
waver,
vibrate,
pulsate,
quail,
totter,
convulsein the sense of recoil
Definition
to draw back in fear or horror
People used to recoil from the idea of getting into debt.
Synonyms
draw back,
shrink,
falter,
shy away,
flinch,
quail,
balk at
in the sense of shake
Definition
(of a voice) to tremble because of anger or nervousness
I stood there, crying and shaking with fear.
Synonyms
tremble,
shiver,
quake,
shudder,
quiverin the sense of shudder
Definition
to shake or tremble suddenly and violently from horror or fear
She shuddered with cold.
Synonyms
shiver,
shake,
tremble,
quake,
quiver,
convulsein the sense of tremble
Definition
to shake with short slight movements
He began to tremble all over.
Synonyms
shake,
shiver,
quake,
shudder,
quiver,
teeter,
totter,
quake in your boots,
shake in your boots or shoes
- weak nuclear interaction
- weakon
- weak outlook
- weak point
- weak productivity
- weak recovery
- weak side
- weakside
- weak sister
- weak spot
- weak verb
- weak willed
- weak-willed
- weal
- weald
- we all have our ups and downs
- we all sat down
- wealsman
- wealth
- front-/rear-wheel drive
- front room
- front row
- front-runner
- frontrunner
- frontrunning