quill

quill
    n 1: pen made from a bird's feather [syn: {quill}, {quill pen}]
    2: a stiff hollow protective spine on a porcupine or hedgehog
    3: any of the larger wing or tail feathers of a bird [syn:
       {flight feather}, {pinion}, {quill}, {quill feather}]
    4: the hollow spine of a feather [syn: {quill}, {calamus},
       {shaft}]
    

Quill \Quill\, n. [Perhaps fr. F. quille ninepin (see
   {Kayless}); but cf. also G. kiel a quill. MHG. kil, and Ir.
   cuille a quill.]
   1. One of the large feathers of a bird's wing, or one of the
      rectrices of the tail; also, the stock of such a feather.
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   2. A pen for writing made by sharpening and splitting the
      point or nib of the stock of a feather; as, history is the
      proper subject of his quill. --Sir H. Wotton.
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   3. (Zool.)
      (a) A spine of the hedgehog or porcupine.
      (b) The pen of a squid. See {Pen}.
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   4. (Mus.)
      (a) The plectrum with which musicians strike the strings
          of certain instruments.
      (b) The tube of a musical instrument.
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                He touched the tender stops of various quills.
                                                  --Milton.
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   5. Something having the form of a quill; as:
      (a) The fold or plain of a ruff.
      (b) (Weaving) A spindle, or spool, as of reed or wood,
          upon which the thread for the woof is wound in a
          shuttle.
      (c) (Mach.) A hollow spindle.
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   6. (Pharm.) A roll of dried bark; as, a quill of cinnamon or
      of cinchona.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   {Quill bit}, a bit for boring resembling the half of a reed
      split lengthways and having its end sharpened like a
      gouge.

   {Quill driver}, one who works with a pen; a writer; a clerk.
      [Jocose]

   {Quill nib}, a small quill pen made to be used with a holder.
      --Simmonds.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Quill \Quill\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Quilled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Quilling}.]
   1. To plaint in small cylindrical ridges, called quillings;
      as, to quill a ruffle.
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            His cravat seemed quilled into a ruff. --Goldsmith.
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   2. To wind on a quill, as thread or yarn. --Judd.
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QUILL, n.  An implement of torture yielded by a goose and commonly
wielded by an ass.  This use of the quill is now obsolete, but its
modern equivalent, the steel pen, is wielded by the same everlasting
Presence.
    

38 Moby Thesaurus words for "quill":
      barb, barbule, barrel, bramble, brier, bristle, burr, cactus,
      catchweed, cilium, cleavers, crest, feather, filament, filamentule,
      goose grass, hackle, needle, nettle, panache, pine needle, pinion,
      plume, plumule, prickle, scapular, shaft, spicule, spiculum, spike,
      spikelet, spine, sticker, thistle, thorn, topknot, tuft, yucca