Sherlock Holmes and his friend Watson were on a camping and hiking trip.
They had gone to bed and were lying there looking up at the sky. Holmes said, "Watson, look up. What do you see?"
"Well, I see thousands of stars."
"And what does that mean to you?"
"Well, I guess it means we will have another nice day tomorrow. What does it mean to you, Holmes?"
"To me, it means someone has stolen our tent."
- tree bearing this. [originally a plural, from french cooin, from cydonia in crete]
QUITCH
n. (in full quitch-grass) = *couch2. [old english]
QUIVER
—v. Tremble or vibrate with a slight rapid motion. —n. Quivering motion or sound. [obsolete quiver nimble]
- n. Case for arrows. [anglo-french from germanic]
QUORUM
n. Minimum number of members that must be present to constitute a valid meeting. [latin, = of whom]
QWERTY
attrib. Adj. Denoting the standard keyboard on english-language typewriters etc., with q, w, e, r, t, and y as the first keys on the top row of letters.
QUALIFY
v. (-ies, -ied) 1 (often as qualified adj.) Make competent or fit for a position or purpose.
- make legally entitled.
- (usu. Foll. By for) (of a person) satisfy conditions or requirements.
- modify or limit (a statement etc.) (qualified approval).
- gram. (of a word) attribute a quality to esp. A noun.
- moderate, mitigate; make less severe.
- (foll. By as) be describable as, count as (a grunt hardly qualifies as conversation). qualifier n. [latin qualis such as, of what kind]
QUALITY
control n. Maintaining of standards in products or services by testing samples.
- n. (pl. -ies) 1 degree of excellence.
- a general excellence (has quality). B (attrib.) Of high quality (a quality product).
- attribute, faculty (has many good qualities).
- relative nature or character.
- timbre of a voice or sound.
- archaic high social standing (people of quality). [latin qualis such as, of what kind]
QUANTUM
jump n. (also quantum leap) 1 sudden large increase or advance.
- physics abrupt transition in an atom or molecule from one quantum state to another.
- mechanics n.pl. (usu. Treated as sing.) (also quantum theory) physics theory assuming that energy exists in discrete units.
- n. (pl. Quanta) 1 physics discrete amount of energy proportional to the frequency of radiation it represents.
- a required or allowed amount. [latin quantus how much]
QUARREL
—n. - severe or angry dispute or contention.
- break in friendly relations.
- cause of complaint (have no quarrel with him). —v. (-ll-; us -l-) 1 (often foll. By with) find fault.
- dispute; break off friendly relations. [latin querela from queror complain]
QUARTER
day n. One of four days on which quarterly payments are due, tenancies begin and end, etc.
- sessions n.pl. Hist. Court of limited criminal and civil jurisdiction, usu. Held quarterly.
- —n. - each of four equal parts into which a thing is divided.
- period of three months.
- point of time 15 minutes before or after any hour.
- a 25 us or canadian cents. B coin for this.
- part of a town, esp. As occupied by a particular class (residential quarter).
- a point of the compass. B region at this.
- direction, district, or source of supply (help from any quarter).
- (in pl.) A lodgings. B accommodation of troops etc.
- a one fourth of a lunar month. B moon's position between the first and second (first quarter) or third and fourth (last quarter) of these. 10 a each of the four parts into which a carcass is divided. B (in pl.) = *hindquarters. 11 mercy towards an enemy etc. On condition of surrender. 12 a grain measure equivalent to 8 bushels. B one-fourth of a hundredweight. C colloq. One-fourth of a pound weight. 13 each of four divisions on a shield. —v. - divide into quarters.
- hist. Divide (the body of an executed person) in this way.
- a put (troops etc.) Into quarters. B provide with lodgings.
- heraldry place (coats of arms) on the four quarters of a shield. [latin quartarius: related to *quart]
