quæstus

In law. See quest us. quaff (kwaf), v. [Prob. a reduced form, with change of orig. guttural gh to f ( ff ) (as in dwarf, trough, pron. as if troff, etc.), of quaught, drink, quaff: see quaught. There may have been some confusion with the Sc. quaigh, quegh, quech, also queff, a cup, quaigh.] I. trans. To drink; swallow in large draughts; drink of copiously or greedily. IMG:content-1421.png:[blocks in formation] a draught. Now Alvida begins her quaff, And drinks a full carouse unto her king. Greene and Lodge, Looking Gla for Lond. and Eng. quaffer1 (kwåf'ėr), n. [ quaff + -er1.] One who quaffs or drinks much. quaffer2t, v. i. [Cf. quaff (?).] To drink greedily, or to dabble. [The sense is uncertain.] Ducks, geese, and divers others have such long broad bills to quaffer and hunt in waters and mud. Derham , Physico-Theology, iv. 11, note. quaffing-pot (kwaf'ing-pot), n. A drinking ve el holding half a gill. quafftidet (kwåf'tid), n. Drinking-time. [Rare.] Quaftyde a pro a cheth, And showts in nighttyme doo ringe in loft ye Cithæron. Stan i hurst , Æneid, iv. 314. (Davies.) quag (kwag), n. [Abbr. of quagmire .] A shaking, marshy soil; a quagmire. On the left hand there was a very dangerous quag , into which if even a good man falls, he can find no bottom for his foot to stand on. Into that Quag King David once Bunyan , Pilgrim's Progre , pt. i. did fall. With packhorse constancy we keep the road, Crooked or straight, through quags or thorny dells. Couper , Tirocinium, 1. 253. =Syn. See marsh.