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Synonyms

quid

1 American  
[kwid] / kwɪd /

noun

  1. a portion of something, especially tobacco, that is to be chewed but not swallowed.

quid 2 American  
[kwid] / kwɪd /

noun

plural

quid

  1. British Informal. one pound sterling.

quid 1 British  
/ kwɪd /

noun

  1. slang one pound sterling

  2. slang in a very favourable or advantageous position

  3. slang mentally subnormal

"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
quid 2 British  
/ kwɪd /

noun

  1. a piece of tobacco, suitable for chewing

"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

Etymology

Origin of quid1

First recorded in 1720–30; dialectal variant of cud

Origin of quid2

First recorded in 1680–90; origin uncertain

Explanation

A quid is a hunk or wad of something you chew. I don't recommend shoving a quid of gum in your mouth right before you give your speech. Quid, defined in the 1720s as "a portion suitable to be chewed or held in the mouth," shares a source with cud, as in what a cow chews. The Old English root of both is cudu, "gum or resin." Quid is also British slang for one pound sterling, which may derive from the Latin word meaning "that which is." Order fish and chips in a London pub and you may hear, "That'll be six quid, mate."

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Vocabulary lists containing quid

Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It’s Easter, the Vatican is involved in pushing for humanitarian gestures on the part of Cuba as well as Trump. It looks like a humanitarian quid pro quo,” Kornbluh said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

District Judge Katherine Menendez, presiding over Minnesota’s request to end what locals officials have called a federal occupation, seemed to recognize the quid pro quo at play.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2026

He said after he had run off he returned to the car, believing Mr Ali would have also fled, and Mr Shabir drove back to Keighley where he gave him a "couple of quid".

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

"You're lucky to get vegetables for under a quid at the moment, so obviously we've got to take advantage of this," Lee Stewart explains from his spot in the queue.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2025

There had to be fifty quid in there.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.