Category:Quail

Quail, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Qualled; p. pr. & vb. n. Qualling.] Etym: [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.

Quail Quail, v. t. Etym: [cf. Quell.]

Defn: to cause to fail in spirit or power; to quell; to crush; to Subdue. [obs.] Spenser.

Quail Quail, v. i. Etym: [of. coaillier, f. cailler, from l. coagulare. See Coagulate.]

Defn: to curdle; to coagulate, as milk. [obs.] Holland.

Quail Quail, n. Etym: [of. quaille, f. caille, ll. quaquila, qualia, Qualea, of dutch or german origin; cf. D. kwakkel, kwartel, ohg. Wahtala, g. wachtel.]

1. (zoöl.)

Defn: any gallinaceous bird belonging to coturnix and several allied Genera of the old world, especially the common european quail (c. Communis), the rain quail (c. Coromandelica) of india, the stubble Quail (c. pectoralis), and the australian swamp quail (synoicus Australis).

2. (zoöl.)

Defn: 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. (zoöl.)

Defn: 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 (zoöl.), a small asiatic Quail-like bird of the genus turnix, as t. taigoor, a black-breasted Species, and the hill bustard quail (t. ocellatus). See turnix. -- button quail (zoöl.), one of several small asiatic species of Turnix, as t. 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 (zoöl.), any one of several american ground pigeons Belonging to geotrygon and allied genera. -- quail hawk (zoöl.), the new zealand sparrow hawk (hieracidea Novæ-hollandiæ). -- quail pipe. See quail call, above. -- quail snipe (zoöl.), the dowitcher, or red-breasted snipe; -- Called also robin snipe, and brown snipe. -- sea quail (zoöl.), the turnstone. [local, u. S.]

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Quails - The Israelites were twice relieved in their privation by a miraculous supply of quails, (1.) in the wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:13), and (2.) again at Kibroth-hattaavah (q.v.), Numbers 11:31. God "rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea" (Psalms 78:27). The words in Numbers 11:31, according to the Authorized Category:Version, appear to denote that the quails lay one above another to the thickness of two cubits above the ground. The Revised Category:Version, however, reads, "about two cubits above the face of the earth", i.e., the quails flew at this height, and were easily killed or caught by the hand. Being thus secured in vast numbers by the people, they "spread them all abroad" (Numbers 11:32) in order to salt and dry them. These birds (the Coturnix vulgaris of naturalists) are found in countless numbers on the shores of the Mediterranean, and their annual migration is an event causing great excitement.