Quire, kwīr, n. a collection of paper consisting of twenty-four sheets, the twentieth part of a ream, each having a single fold.—v.t. to fold in quires. [O. Fr. quaier (Fr. cahier), prob. from Low L. quaternum, a set of four sheets,—L. quatuor, four.]
Quire, kwīr, n. old form of choir.—n. Quī′rister, a chorister.
Quirinus, kwi-rī′nus, n. an Italic divinity identified with the deified Romulus.—n. Quirinā′lia, a festival in ancient Rome in honour of Quirinus, on Feb. 17.
Quirites, kwi-rī′tez, n.pl. the citizens of ancient Rome in their civil capacity.
Quirk, kwėrk, n. a quick turn: an artful evasion: a quibble: a taunt or retort: a slight conceit: inclination, turn: fantastic phrase: (archit.) an acute angle or recess.—v.i. to turn sharply.—v.t. to twist or turn: to furnish with a quirk or channel.—adjs. Quirk′ish, consisting of quirks; Quirk′y, abounding in quirks. [Skeat explains as prob. for obs. Eng. quirt, to turn; from W. chwired, a piece of craft, from chwiori, to turn briskly; cf. Gael. cuireid, a turn.]
Quirt, kwėrt, n. a riding-whip much used in the western states of North America.—v.t. to flog with a quirt. [Perh. Sp. cuerda, a rope.]
Quiscalus, kwis′ka-lus, n. a genus of birds, the American grackles or crow-blackbirds.
Quit, kwit, v.t. to pay, requite: to release from obligation, accusation, &c.: to acquit: to depart from: to give up: to clear by full performance: (Spens.) to remove by force: (coll.) to give over, cease:—pr.p. quit′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. quit′ted.—adj. (B.) set free: acquitted: released from obligation.—n. Quit′-claim, a deed of release.—v.t. to relinquish claim or title to.—n. Quit′-rent, a rent by which the tenants are discharged from all other services—in old records called white rent, as being paid in silver money.—adj. Quit′table, capable of being quitted.—ns. Quit′tal (Shak.), requital, repayment; Quit′tance, a quitting or discharge from a debt or obligation: acquittance: recompense.—v.t. (obs.) to repay.—Quit cost, to pay expenses; Quit one's self (B.), to behave; Quit scores, to balance accounts.—Be quits, to be even with one; Cry quittance, to get even; Double or quits, in gambling, said when a stake due is either to become double or be reduced to nothing, according to the issue of a certain chance; Notice to quit (law), notice to a tenant of real property that he must surrender possession. [O. Fr. quiter (Fr. quitter)—Low L. quietāre, to pay—L. quietāre, to make quiet—quietus, quiet.]
Qui tam, kwī tam, an action on a penal statute, brought partly at the suit of the state and partly at that of an informer—from the first words. [L. qui, who, tam, as well.]
Quitch, kwich, n. couch-grass.—Also Quitch′-grass, Quick′ens. [Assibilated form of quick.]