Quaker

[ kwey-ker ]

/ ˈkweɪ kər /

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Definition of Quaker

noun

a popular name for a member of the Society of Friends.

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Origin of Quaker

First recorded in 1590–1600; quake + -er¹

OTHER WORDS FROM Quaker

Quak·er·ish, Quak·er·like, adjectivenon-Quaker, noun, adjectivenon-Quak·er·ish, adjectivepro-Quaker, adjective

Words nearby Quaker

quaint, quair, quake, quake in one's boots, quakeproof, Quaker, Quakeress, Quaker gun, Quakerism, Quaker-ladies, Quakerly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Quaker in a sentence

The replaced woman, by the way, was Elizabeth Fry, a Quaker philanthropist who successfully campaigned for prison reform and better conditions in mental asylums in 19th-century England.
Check the Data: It’s a Man’s World (The Freakonomics Radio Book Club Ep. 10)|Maria Konnikova|September 25, 2021|Freakonomics
Humility, however, is one Quaker attribute that Pearson never exhibited — in his career or his personal life.
A top columnist who exposed corruption — and sometimes betrayed his principles|Matthew Pressman|July 9, 2021|Washington Post
Edward Hicks included the arch in one of more than five dozen paintings depicting his Quaker fantasy of an Edenic “Peaceable Kingdom” on Earth.
Rekindling the wonder of Natural Bridge, once a testament to American grandeur|Philip Kennicott|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
Smith was said to have stressed the Quaker values of simplicity, plain-speaking and self-effacement.
Robert L. Smith, who led Sidwell Friends School, dies at 96|Bart Barnes|May 30, 2021|Washington Post

Other producers, including the Quaker Mill Company, jumped on board, with several mills merging into the American Cereal Company in 1891, retaining the smiling mascot of a man in Quaker garb.
Get to know your oats, and all the types and ways to eat them|Becky Krystal|April 12, 2021|Washington Post
One was a Quaker school, whose name he can no longer recall, in upstate New York.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Quaker Chewy Dipps Chocolate Chip granola bar is more than 40 percent sugar by weight.
Your Health Food’s Hidden Sugar Bomb|Michael Schulson|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A single packet of Quaker Maple and Brown Sugar instant oatmeal, though, contains a full tablespoon of sugar.
Your Health Food’s Hidden Sugar Bomb|Michael Schulson|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Quaker did not return a request for comment at the time of publishing.
Your Health Food’s Hidden Sugar Bomb|Michael Schulson|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Modern Orthodox Jew, a Buddhist and a Quaker walk into…the Capitol?
10 Religious Surprises in the US Congress|Joshua DuBois|March 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They certainly were attractive specimens of their race, and the Quaker miller who offered them had a most benignant countenance.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
I know a good farmer wouldn't let even a well-trained Quaker cow into his best meadow; even I know that!
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
Exchange bows, of course, if a Quaker will bow; but I'm too happy to-day to be disturbed by talk with him.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
That splendid old Quaker gentleman has just left here, and has made me such a generous offer.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
We learned this in conversation with a sweet-faced, quiet-mannered lady who had all the Quaker characteristics.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy

British Dictionary definitions for Quaker

Quaker

/ (ˈkweɪkə) /

noun

a member of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian sect founded by George Fox about 1650, whose central belief is the doctrine of the Inner Light. Quakers reject sacraments, ritual, and formal ministry, hold meetings at which any member may speak, and have promoted many causes for social reform

adjective

of, relating to, or designating the Religious Society of Friends or its religious beliefs or practices

Derived forms of Quaker

Quakeress, fem nQuakerish, adjectiveQuakerism, noun

Word Origin for Quaker

C17: originally a derogatory nickname, alluding either to their alleged ecstatic fits, or to George Fox's injunction to " quake at the word of the Lord"

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Quaker

Quaker

A member of the Religious Society of Friends. The Quakers are a group of Christians (see also Christian) who use no scripture and believe in great simplicity in daily life and in worship. Their services consist mainly of silent meditation.

notes for Quaker

Quakers have traditionally been committed to pacifism.

notes for Quaker

Pennsylvania was settled by a group of Quakers fleeing religious persecution.