📖 Q — The English dictionary

qi — Everyday, meaning 1: (Mandarin, pinyin) In Chinese thought and traditional medicine, qi is the life energy that is believed to flow through the body and all living things; it is said like «chee» to an English ear.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Mandarin, pinyin) As an ordinary Mandarin word, qì also means air, gas, breath or spirit, and other syllables spelled «qi» mean seven (qī), to ride (qí) and to rise (qǐ).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (games) «Qi» is a famous allowed word in Scrabble.↗ Example: In Chinese tradition, qi is the energy of life.↗ · Tai chi exercises are said to help qi flow through the body.↗ · «Qi» sounds like «chee» in English.↗ · In Mandarin, «qī» means seven.↗ · Grandpa scored lots of points playing «qi» in Scrabble.↗ · «Tiānqì» means weather in Mandarin.↗

qin — Everyday, meaning 1: (a name) The Qin dynasty was the first family of emperors to join China into one country; its first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, built early parts of the Great Wall, made one system of writing, money and measures, and was buried with the Terracotta Army.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Mandarin, pinyin) «Qin» is a Chinese syllable; «qín» can mean a stringed instrument, like the «guqin», a kind of Chinese zither.↗ In pinyin «q» sounds like «ch», so «Qin» sounds like «chin» to an English ear.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (a name) Qin is also a Chinese family name.↗ It is not an English word.↗ Example: The Qin dynasty united China for the first time.↗ · Qin Shi Huang was buried with an army of clay soldiers.↗ · Pinyin «Qin» is pronounced like «chin».↗ · The name «China» may come from the Qin.↗ · The Qin emperor made everyone use the same coins and writing.↗ · The guqin is an old Chinese instrument with seven strings.↗ · Farmers found the Terracotta Army of the Qin emperor while digging a well.↗ · The Qin was followed by the Han dynasty.↗

qing — Everyday, meaning 1: (a name) The Qing was the last dynasty of emperors to rule China, founded by the Manchu people; it ended when China became a republic.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Mandarin, pinyin) «Qing» is a Mandarin syllable whose meaning depends on its tone: «qǐng» = please or to invite, «qīng» = clear or light, «qíng» = feeling or sunny (weather).↗ In pinyin, «q» sounds like English «ch», so «qing» sounds like «ching».↗ It is not an English word.↗ Example: The Qing dynasty was the last royal dynasty of China.↗ · Qing emperors lived in the Forbidden City.↗ · The last Qing emperor was only a little boy when he took the throne.↗ · In Mandarin, «qǐng» means «please».↗ · «Qǐng wèn» means «excuse me, may I ask?»↗ · In pinyin, «q» sounds like «ch», so «Qing» sounds like «Ching».↗ · Families sweep graves at the Qingming Festival.↗

qoph — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: The nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, written ק and sounded like a K made deep in the throat.↗ Example: He produced Qoph, predominant in Mirth, crowned it, combined and formed with it Pisces in the Universe, Adar in the Year, and the spleen of Man.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · must not be confused with Zain, Z ; and lastly Qoph, Q is very often replaced by K, which is hardly defensible as there is a true K in addition. '↗ 44.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

quack — Everyday, meaning 1: A quack is the loud, harsh sound a duck makes; to quack means to make that sound.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A quack is a person who pretends to be a doctor or to have medical skill and sells fake cures.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (UK, Australia, slang) «The quack» can be a joking word for a real doctor.↗ Example: The ducks quacked loudly when we brought bread.↗ · «Quack, quack!» went Mother Duck.↗ · The quack sold bottles of coloured water as medicine.↗ · Don't trust quack cures you see online.↗ · I'm off to see the quack about my cough.↗ (UK, slang)↗ · If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.↗ · Be wise and shun the quack.↗

quadrille — Everyday, meaning 1: An old dance for four couples standing in a square, done in several parts, popular in the 1800s.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The music for this dance.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (cards, old) A card game for four players.↗ Example: The Mock Turtle and the Gryphon danced the Lobster Quadrille.↗ · At the ball, four couples stood in a square for the quadrille.↗ · «Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?»↗ · In a quadrille, each couple takes turns to move.↗ · The band played a lively quadrille.↗ · Lobsters are thrown out to sea in the middle of the Lobster Quadrille.↗

quadrillion — Everyday, meaning 1: A quadrillion is the number 1,000,000,000,000,000: a thousand trillion, a 1 followed by 15 zeros.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) It can mean a huge number.↗ Example: A quadrillion has fifteen zeros.↗ · There may be about twenty quadrillion ants on Earth.↗ · A quadrillion is a thousand trillions.↗ · I've told you a quadrillion times!↗ · Computers can do a quadrillion sums a second.↗ · Write one quadrillion in digits: 1,000,000,000,000,000.↗

quaff — Everyday, meaning 1: To quaff is to drink something quickly and deeply, in big gulps.↗ Example: Quaff this cup of cold water, lad.↗ · The knight quaffed the mug in one go.↗ · We quaffed lemonade on the hot day.↗ · Let us quaff a cup together.↗

quagga — Everyday, meaning 1: The quagga was a kind of zebra from South Africa with stripes only on the front half of its body and a plain brown back; it became extinct more than a hundred years ago because of hunting.↗ Example: The quagga was half zebra-striped and half brown.↗ · The last quagga died in a zoo long ago.↗ · Hunters killed the quaggas for meat and skins.↗ · The quagga is now extinct.↗ · Scientists found the quagga was a kind of zebra.↗ · Only one quagga was ever photographed alive.↗

quail — Everyday, meaning 1: A quail is a small bird like a partridge, which people hunt for food.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To quail is to shrink back in fear, to lose courage.↗ Example: The hunters shot two quails for supper.↗ · The boy quailed at the sight of the wolf.↗ · Do not quail; be brave.↗ · The soldiers quailed before the giant.↗ · And it came to pass at even, that the quails came up, and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew round about the camp.↗ (Torah EXO.16.13, JPS 1917)↗ · And the people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails; he that gathered least gathered ten heaps; and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.↗ (Torah NUM.11.32, JPS 1917)↗ · They asked, and He brought quails, and gave them in plenty the bread of heaven.↗ (Writings PSA.105.40, JPS 1917)↗

quaint — Everyday, meaning 1: Quaint means charmingly old-fashioned or odd in a pleasing way.↗ Example: The village had quaint little cottages.↗ · The old man wore a quaint hat.↗ · Limmershin is a quaint little bird.↗ · We looked at the quaint shop with its wooden sign.↗

quake — Everyday, meaning 1: A quake is a short word for an earthquake, when the ground suddenly shakes because rocks deep under it move.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To quake is to shake or tremble, often because you are very scared or very cold.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To quake can also mean that something big shakes, like the ground or a building.↗ Example: The quake shook the plates off the shelf.↗ · New Zealand has many small quakes every year.↗ · During a quake, get under a strong table and hold on.↗ · The little mouse quaked when the cat walked past.↗ · He was quaking in his boots before the spelling test.↗ · The ground quaked as the huge truck rolled by.↗ · Scientists measure how strong a quake is.↗ · After the quake, the family checked the house for damage.↗ · He quaked all over as he told his story.↗ · Now mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.↗ (Torah EXO.19.18, JPS 1917)↗ · For three things the earth doth quake, and for four it cannot endure: (Writings PRO.30.21, JPS 1917)↗ · The LORD reigneth; let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake.↗ (Writings PSA.99.1, JPS 1917)↗ · 'Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with anxiety; (Prophets EZK.12.18, JPS 1917)↗

quaker — Everyday, meaning 1: (church) A member of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian group that worships in silence and believes in peace and simplicity.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: adjective Connected with the Quakers: «a Quaker meeting».↗ Example: Quakers sit together in silence during their meeting.↗ · The Quakers worked hard to end slavery.↗ · She goes to a Quaker school.↗ · Quakers believe in peace and do not fight in wars.↗ · The Quaker meeting house has no altar or pictures.↗ · The famous oats are named Quaker but are not made by Quakers.↗

quakers — Everyday, meaning 1: (church) Quakers are members of a Christian group called the Religious Society of Friends, who worship mostly in silence, believe there is "that of God" in every person, and work for peace, equality and honesty.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (old, informal) The name comes from a joke that they "quake" (tremble) before God.↗ Example: Quakers sit together in silence during their meetings.↗ · The Quakers were among the first to speak out against slavery.↗ · The Cadbury family were Quakers.↗ · Quakers refuse to fight in wars.↗ · There is a small Quaker meeting house in our town.↗ · Quakers believe every person has something of God inside them.↗

qualification — Everyday, meaning 1: A qualification is an exam pass, certificate or degree that shows you have learned something or can do a job.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A qualification is a skill or quality that makes you suitable for something.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Qualification is getting through to the next stage of a competition.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A qualification is a small change to a statement to make it less strong: «without qualification».↗ Example: She has a qualification in first aid.↗ · Teachers need a teaching qualification.↗ · The team won qualification for the final.↗ · What qualifications do you need to be a vet?↗ · He agreed without qualification.↗ · My sister got her swimming qualification.↗ · Qualifications help you find a job.↗ · I'd add one qualification to that statement.↗ · I knew that, for the two other qualifications are not thought much of; so I went first to seek for understanding.↗

qualified — Everyday, meaning 1: Qualified means having passed the exams or training needed to do a job, like a qualified nurse.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Qualified means having the right skills or knowledge to do something.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In sport, qualified means having won a place in the next part of a competition.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (formal) A qualified answer or agreement is limited, not complete, as in "qualified approval".↗ Example: My mum is a qualified nurse.↗ · Only a qualified electrician should fix the wiring.↗ · Ireland qualified for the World Cup.↗ · The lifeguard is qualified in first aid.↗ · I'm not qualified to give advice about cars!↗ · Our team qualified for the final by winning three games.↗ · (formal) The school trip was only a qualified success because it rained all day.↗

qualify — Everyday, meaning 1: To qualify for something is to earn a place in it or the right to it, often by meeting the rules or doing well enough: to qualify for the final.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To qualify as something is to pass the training or exams to do a job: she qualified as a nurse.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To qualify can mean to count as something: does a tomato qualify as a fruit?↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To qualify a statement is to add something that makes it less strong or limits it ("It's good — but only for little kids").↗ Example: Our team qualified for the cup final!↗ · You must be over 12 to qualify for the bigger rides.↗ · She qualified as a doctor after many years of study.↗ · Does a tomato qualify as a fruit?↗ Yes, in science it does.↗ · Children under 5 qualify for free entry.↗ · He won his heat and qualified for the 100 m final.↗ · Which of these numbers qualify as even: 3, 8, 12?↗ · I'd like to qualify what I said: most dogs are friendly, not all.↗