n. Hist. Stout pole 6–8 feet long, formerly used as a weapon.

n. 15th-c. Italian art. [italian, = 400, used for the years 1400–99]

adj. Doubtful as regards truth, quality, honesty, wisdom, etc.

adj. - lasting five years.

- recurring every five years. quinquennially adv. [latin quinquennis from quinque five, annus year]

n. - (usu. Foll. By of) purest and most perfect form, manifestation, or embodiment of a quality etc.

- highly refined extract. quintessential adj. Quintessentially adv. [latin quinta essentia fifth substance (underlying the four elements)]

—adj. Having four sides. —n. Four-sided figure.

—adj. - fourfold.

- of which four copies are made. —v. (-ting) multiply by four.

n. - accomplishment fitting a person for a position or purpose.

- thing that modifies or limits (statement had many qualifications).

- qualifying or being qualified. qualificatory adj. [french or medieval latin: related to *qualify]

n. - regimental officer in charge of quartering, rations, etc.

- naval petty officer in charge of steering, signals, etc.

n. Formulated series of questions, esp. For statistical analysis. [french: related to *question]