Definition of Quill

n.1.One of the large feathers of a bird's wing, or one of the rectrices of the tail; also, the stock of such a feather.
2.A pen for writing made by sharpening and splitting the point or nib of the stock of a feather; as, history is the proper subject of his quill.
3.(Zool.) A spine of the hedgehog or porcupine.
4.(Mus.) The plectrum with which musicians strike the strings of certain instruments.
He touched the tender stops of various quills.
- Milton.
5.(Weaving) Something having the form of a quill
6.(Pharm.) A roll of dried bark; as, a quill of cinnamon or of cinchona.
Quill bit
a bit for boring resembling the half of a reed split lengthways and having its end sharpened like a gouge.
Quill driver
one who works with a pen; a writer; a clerk.
Quill nib
a small quill pen made to be used with a holder.
- Simmonds.
v. t.1.To plaint in small cylindrical ridges, called quillings; as, to quill a ruffle.
[imp. & p. p. Quilled ; p. pr. & vb. n. Quilling.]
His cravat seemed quilled into a ruff.
- Goldsmith.
2.To wind on a quill, as thread or yarn.


Related Words

barb, barbule, barrel, bramble, brier, bristle, burr, cactus, catchweed, cilium, cleavers, crest, feather, filament, filamentule, goose grass, hackle, needle, nettle, panache, pine needle, pinion, plume, plumule, prickle, scapular, shaft, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, sticker, thistle, thorn, topknot, tuft, yucca

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