Quill, n. (Pharm.) A roll of
dried bark; as, a quill of cinnamon or of cinchona.
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.
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.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) A
spine of the hedgehog or porcupine. (b) The
pen of a squid. See Pen.
4. (Mus.) (a) The
plectrum with which musicians strike the strings of certain
instruments. (b) The tube of a musical
instrument.
He touched the tender stops of various
quills.
Milton.
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.
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.
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.
His cravat seemed quilled into a
ruff.
Goldsmith.
2. To wind on a quill, as thread or
yarn. Judd.
Quill, n. (Pharm.) A roll of
dried bark; as, a quill of cinnamon or of cinchona.
