English Words Starting With Q

• quartz clock

  nounC1
  /kwɔːts klɒk/A timekeeping device that uses the regular vibrations of a quartz crystal to regulate its movement, offering high accuracy without mechanical winding.
• quartz crystal

  nounC1/C2
  /kwɔːts ˈkrɪst(ə)l/A natural or artificially grown solid piece of the mineral quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO₂), characterized by a regular, repeating atomic structure that gives it a distinct geometric shape and specific physical properties like piezoelectricity.
• quartz glass

  nounC1
  /ˈkwɔːts ɡlɑːs/A type of glass made from pure silica (silicon dioxide) in the form of quartz.
• quartz lamp

  nounLow
  /kwɔːts læmp/A lamp that uses a quartz glass envelope, typically for producing ultraviolet light or high-intensity visible light.
• quartz movement

  nounC1
  /kwɔːts ˈmuːv.mənt/A mechanism in a watch or clock that uses the regular vibrations of a quartz crystal to keep precise time.
• quartz plate

  nounC1
  /ˈkwɔːts ˌpleɪt/A flat, thin sheet or piece of quartz, a hard mineral (silicon dioxide) commonly found in rocks and used in various industrial applications.
• quartz-iodine lamp

  nounC2
  /ˌkwɔːts ˈaɪədiːn ˌlæmp/A type of incandescent lamp containing a tungsten filament enclosed in a quartz envelope filled with iodine vapor, known for its high efficiency, brightness, and stable light output over its lifespan.
• quartzite

  nounC1
  /ˈkwɔːt.saɪt/A very hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock composed almost entirely of quartz grains, formed from the recrystallization of sandstone under intense heat and pressure.
• quasar

  nounLow
  /ˈkweɪ.zɑː(r)/An extremely luminous and distant active galactic nucleus, powered by a supermassive black hole.
• quash

  verbverb-transitiveC1
  /kwɒʃ/To completely suppress, put an end to, or declare invalid with official force.
• quasheba

  nounExtremely Low / Historical
  /kwəˈʃiːbə/An offensive, archaic ethnic slur for a Black woman, particularly in 18th–19th century British and colonial usage.
• quashee

  nounExtremely Rare / Archaic
  /ˈkwɒʃiː/A dated, and now considered offensive, term for a person of African descent, originally used in the West Indies.
• quashi

  nounVery Low / Archaic / Historical
  /ˈkwɒʃi/A variant spelling or less common form of 'quashie', historically referring to a peasant or agricultural labourer in the Caribbean, particularly of African descent.
• quasi-contract

  nounLow
  /ˌkweɪ.zaɪˈkɒn.trækt/A legal obligation imposed by a court to prevent unjust enrichment, regardless of whether a formal contract exists.
• quasi-quotation

  nounC2
  /ˌkweɪzaɪ kwəʊˈteɪʃən/A partial or indirect quote, often paraphrased or summarized rather than reproduced verbatim.
• quasi-stellar object

  nounC2
  /ˌkweɪ.zaɪˌstel.ə ˈɒb.dʒɪkt/A highly luminous astronomical object at great distance, appearing starlike but emitting enormous energy from a compact region.
• quasi-stellar radio source

  nounC2
  /ˌkweɪ.zaɪˌstel.ə ˈreɪ.di.əʊ sɔːs/The original, formal term for what is now almost universally called a 'quasar'—an extremely bright, distant astronomical object that emits massive amounts of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum, originally identified by their strong radio emissions.
• quasicrystal

  nounC2 (Proficient)
  /ˈkweɪzaɪˌkrɪst(ə)l/A solid structure that is ordered but not periodic; it has a pattern that does not repeat in a regular, predictable way like a standard crystal.
• quasimodo

  nounC1
  /ˌkwɒzɪˈməʊdəʊ/The name of the hunchbacked bell-ringer in Victor Hugo's novel 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' (1831).
• quasiparticle

  nounC2
  /ˌkwɑː.ziˈpɑː.tɪ.kəl/A collective excitation in a quantum system (like a solid or plasma) that behaves like a particle but is not a fundamental, independent particle.

Showing 301–320 of 698 words.