Flinch, recoil, and wince are all synonyms of quail, but each word has a slightly different use. When you flinch, you fail to endure pain or to face something dangerous or frightening with resolution ("she faced her accusers without flinching"). Recoil implies a start or movement away from something through shock, fear, or disgust ("he recoiled at the suggestion of stealing"). Wince usually suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction to something ("she winced as the bright light suddenly hit her eyes"). Quail implies shrinking and cowering in fear ("he quailed before the apparition").
Noun We had quail for dinner. Verb Other politicians quailed before him. He quailed at the thought of seeing her again.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Later, Greg Drowning Bear, one of the Cherokee members, led the players and coaches in a traditional quail dance.New York Times, 27 July 2022 Home gardens may see nesting mourning dove, a covey of baby quail, or the miracle of tiny hummingbird chicks hatching from miniature eggs in a nest not much bigger than a large thimble. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2022 In a nod to his Taiwanese roots, his American childhood and his fine-dining background, Mr. Kuo sells small, bone-in pieces of popcorn quail topped with fried basil, with spicy mayo for dipping.New York Times, 28 June 2022 Otherwise, the poached calamari (sliced into ribbons, formed into a turban and topped with seaweed matchsticks and a quail egg) is as compelling as ever. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 20 June 2022 Appetizers include Rocky Mountain Oysters and the restaurant’s take on the Scotch egg, fashioned from bison sausage and quail eggs. David Bloom, Forbes, 16 June 2022 There was no sound except the grind of tires on gravel, the gush of a May breeze and the occasional call of sentinel quail. Dennis Wagner, USA TODAY, 30 May 2022 Banchan include tomato-basil kimchi, mussel-seaweed soup, kimchi oysters, quail eggs and cucumber salad. Gwendolyn Wu, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Apr. 2022 The Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy in Tallahassee, established on an old quail plantation in 1960, is a national leader in the research and promotion of prescribed fire. Richard Mertens, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 May 2022
Verb
But turkey is too holidayish, quail too fussy, goose too oceanically fatty, cornish hens too self-consciously twee. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2022 The book features exurban mega mansions, the elite Piedmont Driving Club, Freaknik, burgeoning immigrant neighborhood Chamblee, South Georgia quail plantations and Greek philosopher Epictetus. Rodney Ho, ajc, 7 Nov. 2021 Like Trigger, Goose is training to assist on dove, duck, and quail hunts. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 6 Oct. 2021 Experts say the studies will help identify limiting factors to quail population growth and refine the management needed to correct them.Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2021 The idea is to build quail a suitable home spacious enough to support a population large and healthy enough to bounce back in the wake of tough years.Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2021 Other poultry is well-suited to feed fewer servings, whether that’s a roast chicken, Cornish hens, duck or even quail.Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2020 Visitors can reserve a two-hour session on one of 20 different upland fields to hunt for pheasant, chucker, partridge and quail that club managers stock daily — at least until the end of April (when hunting season ends in October). Matt Villano, SFChronicle.com, 14 Oct. 2020 Brister, who started his shotgunning career hunting doves, quail and waterfowl in Texas, was one of the best wingshooters in the world. Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, 13 June 2020 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English quaile, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin quaccula, of imitative origin