What is "quail"

Quail \Quail\, v. t. [Cf. Quell.] To cause to fail in spirit or power; to quell; to crush; to subdue. [Obs.]
--Spenser.

Quail \Quail\, v. i. [OF. coaillier, F. cailler, from L. coagulare. See Coagulate.] To curdle; to coagulate, as milk. [Obs.]
--Holland.

Quail \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 ( Coturnix communis), the rain quail ( Coturnix Coromandelica) of India, the stubble quail ( Coturnix 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 Turnix taigoor, a black-breasted species, and the hill bustard quail ( Turnix ocellatus). See Turnix.

   Button quail (Zo["o]l.), one of several small Asiatic species of Turnix, as Turnix 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.]

Quail \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.

migratory game bird, late 14c. (early 14c. as a surname (Quayle), from Old French quaille (Modern French caille), perhaps via Medieval Latin quaccula (source also of Provençal calha, Italian quaglia, Old Spanish coalla), or directly from a Germanic source (compare Dutch kwakkel, Old High German quahtala "quail," German Wachtel, Old English wihtel), imitative of the bird's cry. Or the English word might be directly from Proto-Germanic. Slang meaning "young attractive woman" first recorded 1859.

c.1400, "have a morbid craving;" early 15c., "grow feeble or sick;" mid-15c., "to fade, fail, give way," of unknown origin, perhaps from Middle Dutch quelen "to suffer, be ill," from Proto-Germanic *kwaljan, from PIE *gwele- (1) "to throw, to pierce" (see quell). Or from obsolete quail "to curdle" (late 14c.), from Old French coailler, from Latin coagulare (see coagulate). Sense of "lose heart, shrink, cower" is attested from 1550s. According to OED, common 1520-1650, then rare until 19c., when apparently it was revived by Scott. Related: Quailed; quailing.

Etymology 1 alt. 1 (context intransitive English) To waste away; to fade, wither. (from 15th c.) 2 (context transitive now rare English) To frighten, daunt (someone). (from 16th c.) 3 (context intransitive English) To lose heart or courage; to be daunted, fearful. (from 16th c.) 4 (context intransitive English) To slacken, give way (of courage, faith etc.). (from 16th c.) vb. 1 (context intransitive English) To waste away; to fade, wither. (from 15th c.) 2 (context transitive now rare English) To frighten, daunt (someone). (from 16th c.) 3 (context intransitive English) To lose heart or courage; to be daunted, fearful. (from 16th c.) 4 (context intransitive English) To slacken, give way (of courage, faith etc.). (from 16th c.) Etymology 2

n. 1 Any of various small game birds of the genera ''Coturnix'', ''Anurophasis'' or ''Perdicula'' in the Old World family Phasianidae or of the New World family Odontophoridae. 2 (context obsolete English) A prostitute; so called because the quail was thought to be a very amorous bird. Etymology 3

vb. To curdle; to coagulate, as milk does.

1. n. flesh of quail; suitable for roasting or broiling if young; otherwise must be braised

2. small gallinaceous game birds

3. v. draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf" [syn: flinch, squinch, funk, cringe, shrink, wince, recoil]

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes.

Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New World quail are placed in the family Odontophoridae. The species of buttonquail are named for their superficial resemblance to quail, and form the family Turnicidae in the order Charadriiformes. The king quail, an Old World quail, often is sold in the pet trade, and within this trade is commonly, though mistakenly, referred to as a "button quail". Many of the common larger species are farm-raised for table food or egg consumption, and are hunted on game farms or in the wild, where they may be released to supplement the wild population, or extend into areas outside their natural range. In 2007, 40 million quail were produced in the U.S.

The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey or bevy.

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes.

Quail may also refer to:

• Common quail, the bird Coturnix coturnix
• Buttonquail, a bird in the family Turnicidae
• Quail, Texas, U.S., a census-designated place
• ADM-20 Quail, an unmanned drone aircraft
• HMS Quail, several ships of the Royal Navy
• USS Quail (AM-15), a Lapwing-class minesweeper