What is "quilp"

Daniel Quilp is one of the main protagonists in the novel The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, written in 1840. Quilp is a vicious, ill-tempered and grotesque dwarf and is the villain of the story. Quilp is as near that Dickens ever came to creating a monster. Actors who have portrayed him include Anthony Newley, Patrick Troughton and Toby Jones.