quill
noun
one of the large feathers of the wing or tail of a bird.
quills
-
pluralof quill.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
As late as the 1800s, most commodities were cultivated: Cinnamon bark was peeled and rolled into quills, opium juiced from poppies, and tea leaves dried out in the sun.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The hollow spikes may have served as a defensive adaptation, functioning in a way similar to the quills of a porcupine by discouraging predators from attacking.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 18, 2026
Each one is hand-plucked, which means you may spot a few black quills here and there; the company insists they’re harmless, and they disappear once cooked.
From Salon ● Nov. 20, 2025
According to reports at the time there were some clues, including the discovery of straw bedding with porcupine quills in it.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2025
She transformed a book into a dove and enlivened her pencils and quills so that they stood on their own and performed a complicated dance on the desk.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
