Emily Dickinson Lexicon

quaffing, verbal n. [Origin obscure, prob. onomatopoetic.] (webplay: drink).

Drinking; inebriation; intoxication; act of imbibing; hearty consumption of liquor; [fig.] experience; pleasure; delight; enjoyment of life.

quail (-ed), v. [Origin obscure.]

Shrink; cower; falter; lose heart; become discouraged.

quaint (-er, -est), adj. [OFr cointe < L. cognitum, known < cognoscěre, to ascertain.] (webplay: artful, dressed, familiar, fashion, fine-spun, framed, hair, phrase, odd).

1. Strange; peculiar; curious; unusual; unfamiliar; different; [fig.] new; novel; transformed.
2. Pretty; pleasing; charming; delightful; enchanting; endearing.
3. Old-fashioned; outmoded; outdated; antiquated; time-worn.
4. Fine-spun; delicate; dainty; exquisite; extraordinary.
5. Far; insurmountable; unreachable; incomprehensible.

quaintly, adv. [see quaint, adj.]

1. Innocently; naively; childishly; whimsically.
2. Charmingly; delightfully; enchantingly; uniquely; strangely; oddly; peculiarly; curiously; unusually.

quake (-d), v. [OE cwacian.] (webplay: fear).

Tremble; shiver; quiver; shudder; shake; [fig.] doubt; waver; be insecure; vacillate in belief.

qualified, verbal adj. [see qualify, v.] (webplay: defeated, skill).

Ready; prepared; trained; capable; adequately competent; sufficiently skillful; possessing enough appropriate knowledge.

qualify, v. [Fr. qualifi-er or medieval L. quālificāre, attribute a quality to.] (webplay: defeated, place, skill, such, words).

1. Prepare; become worthy; seek to be eligible; make oneself fit; obtain training necessary to meet pre-determined requirements.
2. Soften; lessen; temper; moderate; mitigate; limit; ease; assuage; abate; diminish; make less.
3. Justify; absolve; acquit; excuse; forgive.

quality (qualities), n. [ME < Fr. < L. quālis, of what kind.] (webplay: color, comparative, high, light, nature, obtained, sun).

1. Nature; character; essence.
2. Characteristic; attribute; inherent trait; perceivable property.
3. Caliber; merit; worthiness; degree of excellence.
4. Superiority; high rank; noble station.
5. Element; hint; feeling; perception.
6. [Fig.] flavor.

quantity, n. [OFr < L. quant-us, how much, how great.] (webplay: multiplied).

1. Number; amount; abundance. (828/501)
2. Total; sum; whole; overall tally.
3. [Fig.] singing; praise; outpouring of song; abundance of music.

quarry, n. [Medieval L. quareia < quadrāre, to square (stones).] (webplay: miles).

1. Mine; open pit for stone excavation; large mass of rock.
2. Cavern; extraction of rock; [fig.] tunnel; passageway; subterranean passage through a hill.