English Words Starting With Q

• quiff

  nounLow
  /kwɪf/A hairstyle in which a prominent, often oiled, lock of hair is brushed upward and backward from the forehead.
• quileute

  adjectivenounRare
  /ˈkwɪl.i.uːt/The name of a Native American tribe from the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, USA.
• quill

  nounverbverb-transitiveC1
  /kwɪl/A hollow stem of a large feather from a bird's wing or tail, used historically as a writing instrument.
• quill driver

  nounLow frequency / Archaic
  /ˈkwɪl ˌdraɪ.və/A writer, especially a professional one like a clerk, journalist, or author, originally one who wrote with a quill pen.
• quill pen

  nounC1
  /ˈkwɪl ˌpen/A writing instrument made from the hollow shaft of a large feather, historically sharpened to a point and dipped in ink.
• quillai

  nounC2
  /ˈkwɪleɪ/A tree (Quillaja saponaria) native to Chile, whose bark contains saponin and is used for making soap and as a foaming agent.
• quillai bark

  nounC2/Highly Specialised
  /kwɪˈlɑːə ˌbɑːk/The bark of the Quillaja saponaria tree (soapbark tree), primarily used as a source of saponins which produce a lather and have detergent properties.
• quillback

  nounVery Low
  /ˈkwɪlbæk/A type of North American freshwater fish belonging to the sucker family, characterized by a long, sharp, quill-like spine on its dorsal fin.
• quiller

  nounRare/Low-Frequency
  /ˈkwɪlə/A person or tool that winds or shapes ribbon, paper, or thread onto a quill or similar spool, or creates decorative quilled designs.
• quiller-couch

  nounVery Low
  /ˌkwɪlə ˈkuːtʃ/A hyphenated surname, most famously referring to Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (1863–1944), a Cornish writer, poet, literary critic, and editor.
• quillet

  nounVery Rare / Archaic
  /ˈkwɪlɪt/A subtle distinction or fine point in an argument, especially one that is overly subtle or hairsplitting.
• quillfish

  nounExtremely Low
  /ˈkwɪlfɪʃ/A type of deep-sea fish known for its long, sharp dorsal fin rays resembling quills.
• quilling

  nounLow-frequency word in general discourse; mid-frequency within arts & crafts communities.
  /ˈkwɪlɪŋ/The art or craft of rolling, shaping, and gluing strips of paper to create decorative designs.
• quillon

  nounVery low / Technical
  /ˈkɪljɒ̃/One of the two arms forming the crossguard of a sword, dagger, or similar weapon, separating the blade from the hilt.
• quillwork

  nounRare
  /ˈkwɪlwəːk/The art, craft, or result of decorating textiles, leather, or other materials with porcupine quills, practiced traditionally by Indigenous peoples of North America.
• quillwort

  nounVery Low (Specialist)
  /ˈkwɪlwɜːt/A small, aquatic or semi-aquatic plant with hollow, quill-like leaves, belonging to the genus Isoetes.
• quilmes

  nounLow
  /ˈkɪlmeɪz/A proper noun referring to a city in Argentina, an Argentine beer brand, or an indigenous people of Argentina.
• quilt

  nounverbverb-intransitiveverb-transitiveB1
  /kwɪlt/A warm bed covering made of two layers of fabric with a layer of padding (e.g., wool, cotton, or down) sewn between them in a decorative pattern of lines or patches.
• quilting

  nounB2
  /ˈkwɪltɪŋ/The craft or process of sewing together two or more layers of fabric with padding between them, typically to create a warm bed covering, decorative item, or garment.
• quilting bee

  nounLow
  /ˈkwɪltɪŋ biː/A social gathering where people (traditionally women) come together to work on making a quilt, combining labour with conversation and community.

Showing 541–560 of 698 words.