quest

American  

[kwest] / kwɛst /

noun

1. a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something.

   a quest for uranium mines;

   a quest for knowledge.

   Synonyms:

   undertaking, mission, journey, search, pursuit, hunt, hunt

2. Classical and Medieval Legend. an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something.

   the quest of the Holy Grail.

3. those engaged in such an expedition.

4. British Dialect. inquest.

5. Obsolete. a jury of inquest.

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verb (used without object)

1. to search; seek (often followed by for orafter ).

   to quest after hidden treasure.

2. to go on a quest.

3. Hunting. (of a dog)

   1. to search for game.

   2. to bay or give tongue in pursuit of game.

verb (used with object)

1. to search or seek for; pursue.

quest British  

/ kwɛst /

noun

1. the act or an instance of looking for or seeking; search

   a quest for diamonds

2. (in medieval romance) an expedition by a knight or company of knights to accomplish some prescribed task, such as finding the Holy Grail

3. the object of a search; goal or target

   my quest is the treasure of the king

4. rare a collection of alms

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verb

1. to go in search (of)

2. to go on a quest

3. 1. to search for game

   2. to bay when in pursuit of game

4. rare to collect alms

5. archaic (also tr) to go in search of (a thing); seek or pursue

quest Idioms  

1. see under in search of.

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Other Word Forms

• quester noun
• questing adjective
• questingly adverb
• unquested adjective

Etymology

Origin of quest

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English noun queste, from Old French, from Latin quaesīta, feminine past participle of quaerere “to seek”; Middle English verb derivative of the noun

Example Sentences

With the brief stop at Point Nemo, Brown had taken one giant step in a yearslong quest to visit the Earth’s “poles of inaccessibility.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But Bobby, 45, revealed his fundraising quest almost ended in Antarctica, during the early stages of the marathon he was most looking forward to.

From BBC

Australia suffered a setback Saturday in their quest to win the Women's Asian Cup with goalkeeper Teagan Micah ruled out of the tournament with concussion.

From Barron's

Spanning 50 years and running nearly three hours, “Kokuho,” which has become Japan’s biggest live-action hit ever, evinces intensely mixed feelings about its two main characters’ quest for greatness.

From Los Angeles Times

The ultimate goal of Hall’s five-year quest is to gather enough data to craft some kind of intervention for those suffering from gas and bloating.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• adventure
• chase
• crusade
• expedition
• exploration
• hunt
• inquiry
• investigation
• journey
• pilgrimage
• probe
• pursuit
• research
• search