Quill
Quill , noun
[Perhaps from French quille ninepin (see Kayless); but compare also German kiel a quill. Middle High German kil, and Ir. cuille a quill.]
1.
One of the large feathers of a bird's wing, or one of the rectrices of the tail; also, the stock of such a feather.
2.
A pen for writing made by sharpening and splitting the point or nib of the stock of a feather; as, history is the proper subject of his quill. — Sir H. Wotton
3.
(a) (Zoology) A spine of the hedgehog or porcupine.
(b)
(Zoology) The pen of a squid. See Pen.
4.
(a) (Music) The plectrum with which musicians strike the strings of certain instruments.
(b)
(Music) The tube of a musical instrument.
He touched the tender stops of various quills.
5.
(Weaving) Something having the form of a quill
(a)
(Weaving) The fold or plain of a ruff.
(b)
(Weaving) A spindle, or spool, as of reed or wood, upon which the thread for the woof is wound in a shuttle.
(c)
(Weaving) A hollow spindle.
6.
(Pharmacy) A roll of dried bark; as, a quill of cinnamon or of cinchona.
Collocations (3)
Quill bit , a bit for boring resembling the half of a reed split lengthways and having its end sharpened like a gouge.
Quill driver , one who works with a pen; a writer; a clerk. [Jocose]
Quill nib , a small quill pen made to be used with a holder. — Simmonds
Quill , transitive verb
1.
To plaint in small cylindrical ridges, called quillings; as, to quill a ruffle.
His cravat seemed quilled into a ruff.
2.
To wind on a quill, as thread or yarn. — Judd