Quail word meaning and definition

[noun] small gallinaceous game birds
[noun] (game bird) flesh of quail; suitable for roasting or broiling if young; otherwise must be braised
[verb] draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf"

\Quail\, v. 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 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\, v. t. [Cf. {Quell}.] To cause to fail in spirit or power; to quell; to crush; to subdue. [Obs.] --Spenser.
\Quail\, v. i. [OF. coaillier, F. cailler, from L. coagulare. See {Coagulate}.] To curdle; to coagulate, as milk. [Obs.] --Holland.
\Quail\, n. [OF. quaille, F. caille, LL. quaquila, qualia, qualea, of Dutch or German origin; cf. D. kwakkel, kwartel, OHG. wahtala, G. wachtel.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) 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}). 2. (Zo["o]l.) 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. (Zo["o]l.) 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} (Zo["o]l.), a small Asiatic quail-like bird of the genus Turnix, as {T. taigoor}, a black-breasted species, and the hill bustard quail ({T. ocellatus}). See {Turnix}. {Button quail} (Zo["o]l.), one of several small Asiatic species of Turnix, as {T. 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} {(Zo["o]l.)}, any one of several American ground pigeons belonging to {Geotrygon} and allied genera. {Quail hawk} (Zo["o]l.), the New Zealand sparrow hawk ({Hieracidea Nov[ae]-Hollandi[ae]}). {Quail pipe}. See {Quail call}, above. {Quail snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the dowitcher, or red-breasted snipe; -- called also {robin snipe}, and {brown snipe}. {Sea quail} (Zo["o]l.), the turnstone. [Local, U. S.]

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