quail

¹ American  

[kweyl] / kweɪl /

noun

plural

quails,

plural

quail

1. Also called true quail.  any of numerous gallinaceous birds, order Galliformes, classified as either Old World quails, within the pheasant family (Phasinidae), especially the genus Coturnix, or the distantly related New World quails, comprising their own family (Odontophoridae), including the genera Colinus, Callipepla, and Odontophorus : among the most familiar true quails are the Old World king quail and the New World bobwhite.

2. button quail.

3. Older Slang. a woman or girl.

---

quail ² American  

[kweyl] / kweɪl /

verb (used without object)

1. to lose heart or courage in difficulty or danger; shrink with fear.

   Synonyms:

   cower, blench, flinch, recoil

---

quail ¹ British  

/ kweɪl /

noun

1. any small Old World gallinaceous game bird of the genus Coturnix and related genera, having a rounded body and small tail: family Phasianidae (pheasants)

2. any of various similar and related American birds, such as the bobwhite

---

quail ² British  

/ kweɪl /

verb

1. (intr) to shrink back with fear; cower

---

Related Words

See wince ¹.

Other Word Forms

• quaillike
  adjective
• unquailing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of quail¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English quaille, quaylle, from Old French quaille, from Medieval Latin quaccola; imitative of its call

Origin of quail²

1400–50; late Middle English < Middle Dutch quelen, queilen

Explanation

Smaller than the chicken and not as well known as the pigeon, quail is like the often-overlooked middle child of the ground-dwelling bird family. Quail can also mean to cringe in fear or pain. So if you are a quail, you might quail at the thought of quail-hunting season. Quail is a broad, catchall word; it can refer to any one of many small domestic game birds. So if you’re bragging about the quail you shot on a hunting trip to your uptight, bird-obsessed pals, they might demand to know if it was the Bobwhite quail, the Valley quail or the Scaled quail, to name just a few. If you use this word as a verb, it means to draw back in fear or pain. You might quail in fear at the sight of a playground bully. A good way to remember this verb meaning is to think of how the word chicken is also associated with fear.

Example Sentences

The author is a freelancer and storyteller who lives in Glassell Park with her husband, two dogs and four quail.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Next, a little deep-fried quail leg, crisp and savory, like a miniature Southern Colonel’s specialty or Bill Gorton’s riverside treat, paired with a sharp aioli.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland used cage-type traps baited with venison and quail - a small game bird - to capture the cats.

From BBC • May 16, 2025

"There's no reason that it will not work for all poultry operations, including turkeys, quail and ducks," Dridi said.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2024

He never allowed any shooting near the house for fear the quail might go away.

From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck