quest
- a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something: a quest for uranium mines; a quest for knowledge.
- Medieval Romance. an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something: the quest of the Holy Grail.
- those engaged in such an expedition.
- British Dialect. inquest.
- Obsolete. a jury of inquest.
- to search; seek (often followed by for or after): to quest after hidden treasure.
- to go on a quest.
- Hunting. (of a dog)
- to search for game.
- to bay or give tongue in pursuit of game.
- to search or seek for; pursue.
Origin of quest
Synonyms
See more synonyms for quest on Thesaurus.comExamples from the Web for questing
Historical Examples
It was near, and the questing, expectant note caught her ear.
The Coast of ChanceEsther Chamberlain
It does not inspire them to Questing—man's real and most significant business.
Child and CountryWill Levington Comfort
It was certainly he who, questing for game in the night, marked the trail with his feet.
The Glow-Worm and Other BeetlesJean Henri Fabre
After weeks of questing about, we did almost close for one estate.
The Abandoned FarmersIrvin S. Cobb
His nose was thin and aquiline, with nostrils that seemed forever to be questing.
Hi Jolly!James Arthur Kjelgaard
quest
- the act or an instance of looking for or seeking; searcha quest for diamonds
- (in medieval romance) an expedition by a knight or company of knights to accomplish some prescribed task, such as finding the Holy Grail
- the object of a search; goal or targetmy quest is the treasure of the king
- rare a collection of alms
- (foll by for or after) to go in search (of)
- to go on a quest
- (of gun dogs or hounds)
- to search for game
- to bay when in pursuit of game
- rare to collect alms
- (also tr) archaic to go in search of (a thing); seek or pursue
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for questing
quest
n.
c.1300, "an inquest;" early 14c., "a search for something" (especially of judicial inquiries or hounds seeking game), from Old French queste "search, quest, chase, hunt, pursuit; inquest, inquiry" (12c., Modern French quête), properly "the act of seeking," and directly from Medieval Latin questa "search, inquiry," alteration of Latin quaesitus (fem. quaesita) "sought-out, select," past participle of quaerere "seek, gain, ask" (see query (n.)). Romance sense of "adventure undertaken by a knight" (especially the search for the Grail) is attested from late 14c. Johnson's dictionary has questmonger "Starter of lawsuits or prosecutions."
quest
v.
mid-14c., "to seek game, hunt," from quest (n.) and from Old French quester "to search, hunt," from queste (n.). Related: Quested; questing.
Idioms and Phrases with questing
quest
see under in search of.