quill
6 synonyms for quill, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The hollow central shaft of a bird's feather.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use quill
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
write with a quill
porcupine quills
Etymology
Comes from late Middle English quyl, first attested in the early 15th century with the meanings "fragment of reed" and "shaft of a feather", probably from Low German and Middle Low German quiele, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- (“to pierce, stick”). Compare Middle High German kil (“large feather, q...
Full origin of quill →Frequently asked questions
What does “quill” mean?
The word “quill” means the hollow central shaft of a bird's feather. In plain terms, a feather's stiff central shaft, an old-fashioned feather pen, or one of a porcupine's sharp spines.
How do you pronounce “quill”?
“Quill” is pronounced kwihl (/kwɪl/ in IPA).
How do you use “quill” in a sentence?
Here is “quill” used in a sentence: “The quill of the feather was surprisingly stiff.”
What part of speech is “quill”?
“Quill” is a noun.
How many meanings does “quill” have?
“Quill” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the hollow central shaft of a bird's feather.
