Part 95
2. (Her.) In quarters, or quarterings; as, to bear arms quarterly; in four or more parts; -- said of a shield thus divided by lines drawn through it at right angles.
Quar"ter*mas`ter (?), n. [Quarter + master: cf. F. quartier-maÓtre.] 1. (Mil.) An officer whose duty is to provide quarters, provisions, storage, clothing, fuel, stationery, and transportation for a regiment or other body of troops, and superintend the supplies.
2. (Naut.) A petty officer who attends to the helm, binnacle, signals, and the like, under the direction of the master. Totten.
Quartermaster general (Mil.), in the United States a staff officer, who has the rank of brigadier general and is the chief officer in the quartermaster's department; in England, an officer of high rank stationed at the War Office having similar duties; also, a staff officer, usually a general officer, accompanying each complete army in the field. -- Quartermaster sergeant. See Sergeant.
Quar"tern (?), n.[OE. quarteroun, quartron, F. quarteron, the fourth part of a pound, or of a hundred; cf. L. quartarius a fourth part, quarter of any measure, quartern, gill. See Quarter, and cf. Quarteron, Quadroon.] 1. A quarter. Specifically: (a) The fourth part of a pint; a gill. (b) The fourth part of a peck, or of a stone (14 ibs.).
2. A loaf of bread weighing about four pounds; -- called also quartern loaf. Simmonds.
Quar"ter*on (?), n. [F. See Quartern.] A quarter; esp., a quarter of a pound, or a quarter of a hundred. Piers Plowman.
{ Quar"ter*on (?), Quar"ter*oon (?) }, n. A quadroon.
Quar"ter*pace` (?), n. (Arch.) A platform of a staircase where the stair turns at a right angle only. See Halfpace.
Quar"ter round` (?). (Arch.) An ovolo.
Quar"ter*staff` (?), n.; pl. Quarterstaves (&?;). A long and stout staff formerly used as a weapon of defense and offense; -- so called because in holding it one hand was placed in the middle, and the other between the middle and the end.
{ Quar*tet", Quar*tette" } (?), n. [It. quartetto, dim. of quarto the fourth, a fourth part, fr. L. quartus the fourth. See Quart.] 1. (Mus.) (a) A composition in four parts, each performed by a single voice or instrument. (b) The set of four person who perform a piece of music in four parts.
2. (Poet.) A stanza of four lines.
Quar"tic (?), a. [L. quartus fourth.] (Mach.) Of the fourth degree.
Quar"tic (?), n. (a) (Alg.) A quantic of the fourth degree. See Quantic. (b) (Geom.) A curve or surface whose equation is of the fourth degree in the variables.
Quar"tile (?), n. [F. quartile aspect, fr. L. quartus the fourth. See Quart.] (Astrol.) Same as Quadrate.
Quar"tine (?), n. [F., fr. L. quartus the fourth.] (Bot.) A supposed fourth integument of an ovule, counting from the outside.
Quar"to (?), a. [L. in quarto in fourth, from quartus the fourth: cf. F. (in) quarto. See Quart.] Having four leaves to the sheet; of the form or size of a quarto.
Quar"to, n.; pl. Quartos (&?;). Originally, a book of the size of the fourth of sheet of printing paper; a size leaves; in present usage, a book of a square or nearly square form, and usually of large size.
Quar"tridge (?), n. Quarterage. [Obs.]
Quartz (?), n. [G. quarz.] (Min.) A form of silica, or silicon dioxide (SiO2), occurring in hexagonal crystals, which are commonly colorless and transparent, but sometimes also yellow, brown, purple, green, and of other colors; also in cryptocrystalline massive forms varying in color and degree of transparency, being sometimes opaque.
The crystalline varieties include: amethyst, violet; citrine and false topaz, pale yellow; rock crystal, transparent and colorless or nearly so; rose quartz, rosecolored; smoky quartz, smoky brown. The chief crypto-crystalline varieties are: agate, a chalcedony in layers or clouded with different colors, including the onyx and sardonyx; carnelian and sard, red or flesh- colored chalcedony; chalcedony, nearly white, and waxy in luster; chrysoprase, an apple-green chalcedony; flint, hornstone, basanite, or touchstone, brown to black in color and compact in texture; heliotrope, green dotted with red; jasper, opaque, red yellow, or brown, colored by iron or ferruginous clay; prase, translucent and dull leek-green. Quartz is an essential constituent of granite, and abounds in rocks of all ages. It forms the rocks quartzite (quartz rock) and sandstone, and makes most of the sand of the seashore.
Quartz*if"er*ous (?), a. [Quartz + -ferous.] (Min.) Consisting chiefly of quartz; containing quartz.
Quartz"ite (?), n. [Cf. F. quartzite.] (Min.) Massive quartz occurring as a rock; a metamorphosed sandstone; -- called also quartz rock.
Quartz"oid (?), n. [Quartz + - oid.] (Crystallog.) A form of crystal common with quartz, consisting of two six-sided pyramids, base to base.
Quartz"ose` (?), a. [Cf. F. quartzeux, G. quarzig.] (Min.) Containing, or resembling, quartz; partaking of the nature or qualities of quartz.
quartz"ous (?), a. (Min.) Quarzose.
Quartz"y (?), a. (Min.) Quartzose.
Quas (?), n. A kind of beer. Same as Quass.
{ Quas"chi (?), Quas"je (?) }, n. (Zoˆl.) The brown coati. See Coati.
Quash (?), n. Same as Squash.
Quash, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Quashing.] [OF. quasser, F. casser, fr. L. cassare to annihilate, annul, fr. cassus empty, vain, of uncertain origin. The word has been confused with L. quassare to shake, F. casser to break, which is probably of different origin. Cf. Cashier, v. t.] (Law) To abate, annul, overthrow, or make void; as, to quash an indictment. Blackstone.
Quash, v. t. [OF. quasser, F. casser, fr. L. quassare to shake, shatter, shiver, v. intens. fr. quatere, quassum, to shake, shatter. Cf. Concussion, Discuss, Rescue, and also Quash to annul.] 1. To beat down, or beat in pieces; to dash forcibly; to crush.
The whales Against sharp rocks, like reeling vessels, quashed, Though huge as mountains, are in pieces dashed.
Waller.
2. To crush; to subdue; to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely; as, to quash a rebellion.
Contrition is apt to quash or allay all worldly grief.
Barrow.
Quash, v. i. To be shaken, or dashed about, with noise.
Quash"ee (?), n. A negro of the West Indies.
Qua"si (?). [L.] As if; as though; as it were; in a manner sense or degree; having some resemblance to; qualified; -- used as an adjective, or a prefix with a noun or an adjective; as, a quasi contract, an implied contract, an obligation which has arisen from some act, as if from a contract; a quasi corporation, a body that has some, but not all, of the peculiar attributes of a corporation; a quasi argument, that which resembles, or is used as, an argument; quasi historical, apparently historical, seeming to be historical.
Quas`i*mo"do (?), n. [So called from the first words of the Latin introit, quasi modo geniti infantes as newborn babes, 1 Pet. ii. 2.] (R. C. Ch.) The first Sunday after Easter; Low Sunday.
Quass (?), n. [Russ. kvas'.] A thin, sour beer, made by pouring warm water on rye or barley meal and letting it ferment, -- much used by the Russians. [written also quas.]
Quas*sa"tion (?), n. [L. quassatio, from quassare to shake. See Quash to crush.] The act of shaking, or the state of being shaken. Gayton.
Quas"si*a (?), n. [NL. From the name of a negro, Quassy, or Quash, who prescribed this article as a specific.] The wood of several tropical American trees of the order SimarubeÊ, as Quassia amara, PicrÊna excelsa, and Simaruba amara. It is intensely bitter, and is used in medicine and sometimes as a substitute for hops in making beer.
Quas"sin (?), n. [Cf. F. quassine. See Quassia.] (Chem.) The bitter principle of quassia, extracted as a white crystalline substance; -- formerly called quassite. [Written also quassin, and quassine.]
Quat (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (a) A pustule. [Obs.] (b) An annoying, worthless person. Shak.
Quat, v. t. To satiate; to satisfy. [Prov. Eng.]
Qua"ta (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The coaita.
Quatch (?), a. Squat; flat. [Obs.] Shak.
Qua"ter-cous`in (?), n. [F. quatre four + cousin, E. cousin.] A cousin within the first four degrees of kindred.
Qua*ter"na*ry (?), a. [L. quaternarius consisting of four each, containing four, fr. quaterni four each, fr. quattuor four: cf. F. quaternaire. See Four.]
1. Consisting of four; by fours, or in sets of four.
2. (Geol.) Later than, or subsequent to, the Tertiary; Post-tertiary; as, the Quaternary age, or Age of man.
Qua*ter"na*ry, n. [L. numerus quaternarius: cf. F. quaternaire.] 1. The number four. Boyle.
2. (Geol.) The Quaternary age, era, or formation. See the Chart of Geology.
Qua*ter"nate (?), a. Composed of, or arranged in, sets of four; quaternary; as, quaternate leaves.
Qua*ter"ni*on (?), n. [L. quaternio, fr. quaterni four each. See Quaternary.] 1. The number four. [Poetic]
2. A set of four parts, things, or person; four things taken collectively; a group of four words, phrases, circumstances, facts, or the like.
Delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers.
Acts xii. 4.
Ye elements, the eldest birth Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run.
Milton.
The triads and quaternions with which he loaded his sentences.
Sir W. Scott.
3. A word of four syllables; a quadrisyllable.
4. (Math.) The quotient of two vectors, or of two directed right lines in space, considered as depending on four geometrical elements, and as expressible by an algebraic symbol of quadrinomial form.
The science or calculus of quaternions is a new mathematical method, in which the conception of a quaternion is unfolded and symbolically expressed, and is applied to various classes of algebraical, geometrical, and physical questions, so as to discover theorems, and to arrive at the solution of problems. Sir W. R. Hamilton.
Qua*ter"ni*on, v. t. To divide into quaternions, files, or companies. Milton.
Qua*ter"ni*ty (?), n. [LL. quaternitas, fr. L. quaterni four each: cf. F. quaternitÈ.] 1. The number four. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
2. The union of four in one, as of four persons; -- analogous to the theological term trinity.
Qua"ter*on (?), n. See 2d Quarteron.
Qua*torz"ain (?), n. [See Quatorze.] A poem of fourteen lines; a sonnet. R. H. Stoddard.
Qua*torze" (?), n. [F. quatorze fourteen, L. quattuordecim. See Fourteen.] The four aces, kings, queens, knaves, or tens, in the game of piquet; -- so called because quatorze counts as fourteen points.
Quat"rain (?), n. [F., fr. quatre four, L. quattuor, quatuor. See Four.] (Pros.) A stanza of four lines rhyming alternately. Dryden.
Qua"tre (?), n. [F.] A card, die. or domino, having four spots, or pips
{ Qua"tre*feuille (?), Qua"tre*foil (?), } n. [F. quatre feuilles.] Same as Quarterfoil.
Quat"u*or (?), n. [F., fr. L. quattuor, quatuor, four. See Quartet.] (Mus.) A quartet; -- applied chiefly to instrumental compositions.
Quave (?), n. See Quaver. [Obs.]
Quave, v. i. To quaver. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Quave"mire` (?), n. See Quagmire. [Obs.]
Qua"ver, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Quavered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Quavering.] [OE. quaven to shake, to tremble; cf. LG. quabbeln to shake, to be soft, of fat substances, quabbe a fat lump of flesh, a dewlap, D. kwabbe, and E. quiver, v.] 1. To tremble; to vibrate; to shake. Sir I. Newton.
2. Especially, to shake the voice; to utter or form sound with rapid or tremulous vibrations, as in singing; also, to trill on a musical instrument
Qua"ver, v. t. To utter with quavers.
We shall hear her quavering them . . . to some sprightly airs of the opera.
Addison.
Qua"ver, n. 1. A shake, or rapid and tremulous vibration, of the voice, or of an instrument of music.
2. (Mus.) An eighth note. See Eighth.
Qua"ver*er (?), n. One who quavers; a warbler.
Quay (?), n. [F. quai. See Key quay.] A mole, bank, or wharf, formed toward the sea, or at the side of a harbor, river, or other navigable water, for convenience in loading and unloading vessels. [Written also key.]
Quay (?), v. t. To furnish with quays.
Quay"age (?), n. [F.] Wharfage. [Also keyage.]
Quayd (?), p. p. of Quail. [Obs.] Spenser.
Que (?), n. [Cf. 3d Cue.] A half farthing. [Obs.]
Queach (?), n. [Cf. Quick.] A thick, bushy plot; a thicket. [Obs.] Chapman.
Queach, v. i. [Cf. E. quich, v. i., quick, v. i.; or AS. cweccan to shake.] To stir; to move. See Quick, v. i. [Obs.]
Queach"y (?), a. 1. Yielding or trembling under the feet, as moist or boggy ground; shaking; moving. "The queachy fens." "Godwin's queachy sands." Drayton.
2. Like a queach; thick; bushy. [Obs.] Cockeram.
Quean (?), n. [Originally, a woman, AS. cwene; akin to OS. quena, OHG. quena, Icel. kona, Goth qin&?;, and AS. cwÈn, also to Gr. &?; woman, wife, Skr. gn goddess. Cf. Queen.] 1. A woman; a young or unmarried woman; a girl. [Obs. or Scot.] Chaucer.
2. A low woman; a wench; a slut. "The dread of every scolding quean." Gay.
Quea"si*ly (?), adv. In a queasy manner.
Quea"si*ness, n. The state of being queasy; nausea; qualmishness; squeamishness. Shak.
<! p. 1176 !>
Quea"sy (?), a. [Icel. kweisa pain; cf. Norw. kveis sickness after a debauch.] 1. Sick at the stomach; affected with nausea; inclined to vomit; qualmish.
2. Fastidious; squeamish; delicate; easily disturbed; unsettled; ticklish. " A queasy question." Shak.
Some seek, when queasy conscience has its qualms.
Cowper.
Que*bec" group` (?). (Geol.) The middle of the three groups into which the rocks of the Canadian period have been divided in the American Lower Silurian system. See the Chart of Geology.
||Que*bra"cho (?), n. [Sp.] (Bot.) A Chilian apocynaceous tree ||(Aspidosperma Quebracho); also, its bark, which is used as a ||febrifuge, and for dyspnúa of the lung, or bronchial diseases; -- ||called also white quebracho, to distinguish it from the red ||quebracho, a Mexican anacardiaceous tree (Loxopterygium Lorentzii) ||whose bark is said to have similar properties. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. ||Plants).
Queb"rith (?), n. [OE. quebrit, quibrith, Ar. kibrt.] (Alchemy) Sulphur. [Obs.]
{ Quech (?), Queck (?), } v. i. [Cf. Quick, Queach.] A word occurring in a corrupt passage of Bacon's Essays, and probably meaning, to stir, to move.
Queen (?), n. [OE. quen, quene, queen, quean, AS. cwn wife, queen, woman; akin to OS. qun wife, woman, Icel. kvn wife, queen, Goth. qns. √221. See Quean.] 1. The wife of a king.
2. A woman who is the sovereign of a kingdom; a female monarch; as, Elizabeth, queen of England; Mary, queen of Scots.
In faith, and by the heaven's quene.
Chaucer.
3. A woman eminent in power or attractions; the highest of her kind; as, a queen in society; -- also used figuratively of cities, countries, etc. " This queen of cities." " Albion, queen of isles." Cowper.
4. The fertile, or fully developed, female of social bees, ants, and termites.
5. (Chess) The most powerful, and except the king the most important, piece in a set of chessmen.
6. A playing card bearing the picture of a queen; as, the queen of spades.
Queen apple. [Cf. OE. quyne aple quince apple.] A kind of apple; a queening. "Queen apples and red cherries." Spenser. -- Queen bee (Zoˆl.), a female bee, especially the female of the honeybee. See Honeybee. -- Queen conch (Zoˆl.), a very large West Indian cameo conch (Cassis cameo). It is much used for making cameos. -- Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king. Blackstone. -- Queen dowager, the widow of a king. -- Queen gold, formerly a revenue of the queen consort of England, arising from gifts, fines, etc. -- Queen mother, a queen dowager who is also mother of the reigning king or queen. -- Queen of May. See May queen, under May. -- Queen of the meadow (Bot.), a European herbaceous plant (SpirÊa Ulmaria). See Meadowsweet. -- Queen of the prairie (Bot.), an American herb (SpirÊa lobata) with ample clusters of pale pink flowers. -- Queen pigeon (Zoˆl.), any one of several species of very large and handsome crested ground pigeons of the genus Goura, native of New Guinea and the adjacent islands. They are mostly pale blue, or ash-blue, marked with white, and have a large occipital crest of spatulate feathers. Called also crowned pigeon, goura, and Victoria pigeon. -- Queen regent, or Queen regnant, a queen reigning in her own right. -- Queen's Bench. See King's Bench. -- Queen's counsel, Queen's evidence. See King's counsel, King's evidence, under King. -- Queen's delight (Bot.), an American plant (Stillinqia sylvatica) of the Spurge family, having an herbaceous stem and a perennial woody root. -- Queen's metal (Metal.), an alloy somewhat resembling pewter or britannia, and consisting essentially of tin with a slight admixture of antimony, bismuth, and lead or copper. -- Queen's pigeon. (Zoˆl.) Same as Queen pigeon, above. -- Queen's ware, glazed English earthenware of a cream color. -- Queen's yellow (Old Chem.), a heavy yellow powder consisting of a basic mercuric sulphate; -- formerly called turpetum minerale, or Turbith's mineral.
Queen, v. i. To act the part of a queen. Shak.
Queen, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Queened (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Queening.] (Chess.) To make a queen (or other piece, at the player's discretion) of by moving it to the eighth row; as, to queen a pawn.
Queen"craft` (?), n. Craft or skill in policy on the part of a queen.
Elizabeth showed much queencraft in procuring the votes of the nobility.
Fuller.
Queen"dom (?), n. The dominion, condition, or character of a queen. Mrs. Browning.
Queen"fish` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A California sciÊnoid food fish (Seriphys politus). The back is bluish, and the sides and belly bright silvery. Called also kingfish.
Queen"hood (?), n. The state, personality, or character of a queen; queenliness. Tennyson.
Queen"ing (?), n. [See Queen apple.] (Bot.) Any one of several kinds of apples, as summer queening, scarlet queening, and early queening. An apple called the queening was cultivated in England two hundred years ago.
Queen"li*ness (?), n. The quality of being queenly; the; characteristic of a queen; stateliness; eminence among women in attractions or power.
Queen"ly, a. [AS. cwnlic feminine.] Like, becoming, or suitable to, a queen.
Queen"-post` (?), n. [Arch.] One of two suspending posts in a roof truss, or other framed truss of similar form. See King-post.
Queen"ship, n. The state, rank, or dignity of a queen.
Queens"land nut` (?). (Bot.) The nut of an Australian tree (Macadamia ternifolia). It is about an inch in diameter, and contains a single round edible seed, or sometimes two hemispherical seeds. So called from Queensland in Australia.
Queen" truss (?). (Arch.) A truss framed with queen-posts; a queen-post truss.
Queer (?), a. [Compar. Queerer (?); superl. Queerest.] [G. quer cross, oblique, athwart (cf. querkopf a queer fellow), OHG. twer, twerh, dwerah; akin to D. dvars, AS, ˛weorh thwart, bent, twisted, Icel. ˛verr thwart, transverse, Goth. ˛waÏrhs angry, and perh. to L. torqyere to twist, and E. through. Cf. Torture, Through, Thwart, a.] 1. At variance with what is usual or normal; differing in some odd way from what is ordinary; odd; singular; strange; whimsical; as, a queer story or act. " A queer look." W. Irving.
2. Mysterious; suspicious; questionable; as, a queer transaction. [Colloq.]
Queer, n. Counterfeit money. [Slang]
To shove the queer, to put counterfeit money in circulation. [Slang]
Queer"ish, a. Rather queer; somewhat singular.
Queer"ly, adv. In a queer or odd manner.
Queer"ness, n. The quality or state of being queer.
Queest (?), n. [Cf. Icel. kvisa a kind of bird, kvistr a branch of a tree, and E. cushat.] (Zoˆl.) The European ringdove (Columba palumbus); the cushat. [Written also quist, queeze, quice, queece.] See Ringdove.
Quegh (?), n. A drinking vessel. See Quaich.
Queint (?), a. See Quaint. [Obs.]
Queint, obs. imp. & p. p. of Quench. Chaucer.
Queint"ise (?), n. See Quaintise. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Quell (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Quelled (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Quelling.] [See Quail to cower.]
1. To die. [Obs.]
Yet he did quake and quaver, like to quell.
Spenser.
2. To be subdued or abated; to yield; to abate. [R.]
Winter's wrath begins to quell.
Spenser.
Quell, v. t. [OE. quellen to kill, AS. cwellan, causative of cwelan to die; akin to OHG. quellen to torment, Icel. kvelja. See Quail to cower.] 1. To take the life of; to kill. [Obs.] Spenser.
The ducks cried as [if] men would them quelle.
Chaucer.
2. To overpower; to subdue; to put down.
The nation obeyed the call, rallied round the sovereign, and enabled him to quell the disaffected minority.
Macaulay.
Northward marching to quell the sudden revolt.
Longfellow.
3. To quiet; to allay; to pacify; to cause to yield or cease; as, to quell grief; to quell the tumult of the soul.
Much did his words the gentle lady quell.
Spenser.
Syn. -- to subdue; crush; overpower; reduce; put down; repress; suppress; quiet; allay; calm; pacify.
Quell, n. Murder. [Obs.] Shak.
Quell"er (?), n. 1. A killer; as, Jack the Giant Queller. [Obs.] Wyclif (Mark vi. 27).
2. One who quells; one who overpowers or subdues.
Quel"li*o (?), n. [Sp. cuello, L. collum neck.] A ruff for the neck. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
||Quelque"chose` (?), n. [F. quelque chose something.] A trifle; a ||kickshaw. Donne.
Queme (?), v. t. & i. [AS. cwman, akin to cuman to come. √23.] To please. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Queme"ful (?), a. Kindly; merciful. [Obs.] Wyclif.
Quench (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quenched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Quenching.] [OE. quenchen, AS. cwencan in cwencan, to extinguish utterly, causative of cwincan, cwincan, to decrease, disappear; cf. AS. cwnan, cwnan, to waste or dwindle away.] 1. To extinguish; to overwhelm; to make an end of; -- said of flame and fire, of things burning, and figuratively of sensations and emotions; as, to quench flame; to quench a candle; to quench thirst, love, hate, etc.
Ere our blood shall quench that fire.
Shak.
The supposition of the lady's death Will quench the wonder of her infamy.
Shak.
2. To cool suddenly, as heated steel, in tempering.
Syn. -- To extinguish; still; stifle; allay; cool; check.
Quench, v. i. To become extinguished; to go out; to become calm or cool. [R.]
Dost thou think in time She will not quench!
Shak.
Quench"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being quenched.
Quench"er (?), n. One who, or that which, quenches. Hammond.
Quench"less, a. Incapable of being quenched; inextinguishable; as, quenchless fire or fury. "Once kindled, quenchless evermore." Byron.
Syn. -- Inextinguishable; unquenchable.
-- Quench"less*ly, adv. -- Quench"less*ness, n.
Que*nelle" (?), n. [F.] (Cookery) A kind of delicate forcemeat, commonly poached and used as a dish by itself or for garnishing.
Que*nouille train"ing (?). [F. quenouille distaff.] (Hort.) A method of training trees or shrubs in the shape of a cone or distaff by tying down the branches and pruning.
Quer`ci*tan"nic (?), a. [L. quercus an oak + E. tannic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a tannic acid found in oak bark and extracted as a yellowish brown amorphous substance.
Quer"cite (?), n. (Chem.) A white crystalline substance, C6H7(OH)5, found in acorns, the fruit of the oak (Quercus). It has a sweet taste, and is regarded as a pentacid alcohol.
Quer"ci*tin (?), n. (Chem.) A yellow crystalline substance, occurring quite widely distributed in the vegetable kingdom, as is apple-tree bark, horse- chestnut leaves, etc., but originally obtained by the decomposition of quercitrin. Called also meletin.
Quer"cit*rin (?), n. [Cf. F. quercitrin. See Quercitron.] (Chem.) A glucoside extracted from the bark of the oak (Quercus) as a bitter citron-yellow crystalline substance, used as a pigment and called quercitron.
Quer"cit*ron (?), n. [F. quercitron, the name of the name of tree; L. quercus an oak + citrus the citron tree.] 1. The yellow inner bark of the Quercus tinctoria, the American black oak, yellow oak, dyer's oak, or quercitron oak, a large forest tree growing from Maine to eastern Texas.
2. Quercitrin, used as a pigment. See Quercitrin.
||Quer"cus (?), n. [L., an oak.] (Bot.) A genus of trees constituted by ||the oak. See Oak.