noun
quill
kwihl
noun
1
The hollow central shaft of a bird's feather.
"The quill of the feather was surprisingly stiff."
2
A pen made from a large feather, historically used for writing.
"The letter was written with a quill dipped in ink."
3
One of the sharp, barbed spines on a porcupine or hedgehog.
"The dog came home with a muzzle full of porcupine quills."
How to Use Quill
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA feather's stiff central shaft, an old-fashioned feather pen, or one of a porcupine's sharp spines.
Common pairings
write with a quill
porcupine quills
Word Forms
quilled past tense, quills plural, Quills plural, quills singular
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The _____ of the feather was surprisingly stiff.