quail
noun
\ ˈkwāl
\
\
plural quail
or quails
Definition of quail
(Entry 1 of 2)
: any of numerous small gallinaceous birds: such as
a
: an Old World migratory game bird (Coturnix coturnix)
b
: bobwhite
quail
verb
quailed;
quailing;
quails
Definition of quail (Entry 2 of 2)
2
: to recoil in dread or terror : cower
the strongest quail before financial ruin— Samuel Butler †1902
archaic
: to make fearful
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Synonyms for quail
Synonyms: Verb
blench, cringe, flinch, recoil, shrink, squinch, wince
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Examples of quail in a Sentence
Noun
We had quail for dinner.Verb
Other politicians quailed before him. He quailed at the thought of seeing her again.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
In addition to horses, llamas and alpacas are know to be susceptible to EEE, as well as emus, ostriches, and some non-native species of game birds like pheasants and quail. — Jaclyn Reiss, BostonGlobe.com, "What you need to know about EEE in Mass.," 29 Aug. 2019 Now, Fejt said, Zuri is eating a diet of quail meat and practices spreading his wings in the center’s raptor flight facility, Fejt said. — Genevieve Bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, "Fledgling falcon hatched at Evanston library taken to wildlife center for help with flying," 6 Aug. 2019 Souran was trying to sell elk and buffalo burgers, wild boar ribs, quail on a stick and venison-jalapeño cheese sausage. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Delaware State Fair food fight lands in Wisconsin federal court," 5 Aug. 2019 Usually about mid-July we will be entertained by newborn quail chicks, following adults around like fuzzy golf balls. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Wet winter brings variety of visitors to garden," 3 Aug. 2019 Bevies of quail patrol dirt roads, while camera traps set up near water troughs capture images of deer, mountain lions, black bears and even rattlesnakes. — Brent Crane, Discover Magazine, "Grizzly Bears Might Return to California. Is the State Ready?," 12 Mar. 2019 Reason to visit: bison marrow bones, bison tongue crostini, bison ribs and game selections, including elk and quail. — Larry Olmsted, USA TODAY, "Pair game meat and period cocktails in Colorado," 13 June 2018 Sneed had no qualms with the other courses for the evening’s meal, including a quail egg buried in buttery brioche and topped with an intemperate amount of osetra caviar, and a silky corn soup studded with fresh lobster and lobster quenelles. — Tim Carman, Washington Post, "Jean-Louis Palladin was D.C.’s original celebrity chef. But his legacy is complicated.," 19 Aug. 2019 Each slice comes crusted with mochi, giving it a lacy, crunchy exterior, and topped with a fried quail egg. — Naomi Tomky, Fortune, "Honolulu’s Hottest Restaurants Take Hawaiian Paradise Beyond the Beach," 4 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
At least a few Republican senators may similarly quail at handing a difficult, non-partisan job to a lightly qualified politician. — The Economist, "Donald Trump wants a loyalist as America’s top intelligence official," 3 Aug. 2019 The Nazis organized with little public attention but have quailed under the scrutiny applied to them in the wake of Charlottesville. — Zack Beauchamp, Vox, "Aubtin Heydari was nearly killed at the Charlottesville rally last year. This is his story.," 10 Aug. 2018 Not so long ago, the FBI would have quailed at the idea of running an informant into any U.S. political operation—even into, say, a congressman under criminal investigation for bribery or corruption. — Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, "Will the FBI Come Clean?," 5 July 2018 Michael is a sharp comic creation, with the vocabulary of a longtime theater devotee but the quailing innocence of a kid who still has a lot to learn. — Daniel D'addario, Time, "Best TV Shows of 2018 So Far," 30 May 2018 On Friday, Kathleen Breen Combes lit up the stage with sensual, righteous fury; one look and Aurora’s parents quailed with guilt. — Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston Ballet reawakens ‘Sleeping Beauty’," 12 May 2018 But quailing about awesome robots is like refusing to get into a car without a driver or an elevator without an operator. — Garry Kasparov, WSJ, "Intelligent Machines Will Teach Us—Not Replace Us," 7 May 2018 Set against today's Alabama, all covered up in thickets of oak and holly and scrub so dense and unnatural that deer can't run and quail can't fly, what survives at Splinter Hill can just about break your heart. — Ben Raines, AL.com, "This is how Alabama is supposed to look, and how Alabama used to look," 17 Oct. 2017 Nazis whose every thought is reprehensible will still quail in the face of a lawless crowd. — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, "The Great Nazi Scare of 2017," 22 Aug. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for quail
quail
noun
English Language Learners Definition of quail
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a kind of small wild bird that is often hunted
: the meat of quail eaten as food
quail
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of quail (Entry 2 of 2)
literary
: to feel afraid and often to show your fear in a way that can be clearly seen
See the full definition for quail in the English Language Learners Dictionary
quail
noun